Witt’s Perfect Day at the Plate, Strong Pitching Lift Litchfield Past Southwestern 8-2

The Litchfield varsity baseball team combined opportunistic hitting with steady pitching to secure an 8-2 non-conference victory over visiting Southwestern on Thursday afternoon.

Litchfield established control early, methodically building a lead over the first two innings. The Purple Panthers manufactured a run in the bottom of the first and followed it up with a two-run surge in the second to take a quick 3-0 advantage.

Southwestern managed to break onto the scoreboard in the top of the third inning, scratching across an unearned run to cut the deficit to 3-1. However, Litchfield responded emphatically in the bottom of the fourth. The Panthers’ offense erupted for four runs in the frame, capitalizing on well-placed hits and disciplined at-bats to put the game out of reach at 7-1.

Sophomore Ryker Witt was the offensive catalyst for Litchfield, turning in a flawless 3-for-3 performance at the plate. Witt doubled, drove in a pair of runs, scored twice, and stole a base to consistently set the table. Senior Ethan Saathoff was equally dangerous in the middle of the lineup, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs scored, and two RBIs.

The Panthers also flashed their power with a pair of triples. Senior Titan Hires laced a triple and drove in two runs, while senior Max Leitschuh also added a three-bagger and an RBI.

On the mound, Litchfield starter T. Pastrovich navigated the Southwestern lineup effectively to earn the victory. Over four innings of work, Pastrovich allowed just two hits and one earned run while striking out four batters. Relievers Laidyn Jones and Ethan Saathoff shut the door out of the bullpen. Jones tossed two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts, and Saathoff struck out two in a perfect seventh inning to seal the win.

Southwestern struggled to string together consistent offense against the Litchfield pitching trio, finishing the day with just four total hits. Blake Rimbey, Reed Campbell, Dalton Scott, and Alex Spangler each singled for the Piasa Birds, while Rimbey and Scott accounted for the team’s two runs. Johnny Kunz took the loss for Southwestern, allowing three earned runs over two innings on the mound.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Innings played)

Scoring Drives

• 1st Inning:

  • Litchfield: 1 Run.

• 2nd Inning:

  • Litchfield: 2 Runs.

• 3rd Inning:

  • Southwestern: 1 Run.

• 4th Inning:

  • Litchfield: 4 Runs.

• 5th Inning:

  • Southwestern: 1 Run.

• 6th Inning:

  • Litchfield: 1 Run.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Litchfield: Ryker Witt (So) 3-3, 1 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, 1 SB; Ethan Saathoff (Sr) 2-3, 2 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB; Titan Hires (Sr) 1-2, 1 3B, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 SB; Max Leitschuh (Sr) 1-4, 1 3B, 1 RBI; Mathew Bywater (Sr) 1-4, 1 RBI, 1 SB; Max Gretjak (Jr) 1-3.

• Southwestern: Blake Rimbey (Sr) 1-2, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 SB; Dalton Scott (Sr) 1-3, 1 R; Reed Campbell (Jr) 1-3; Alex Spangler (Sr) 1-3.

PITCHING:

• Litchfield: T. Pastrovich (Sr) (W, 1-0) – 4.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K; Laidyn Jones (Sr) – 2.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K; Ethan Saathoff (Sr) – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.

• Southwestern: Johnny Kunz (So) (L, 0-1) – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K; Reed Campbell (Jr) – 2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 0 K; Carter Bacon (So) – 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K.

FIELDING:

• Litchfield: Ethan Saathoff (Sr) (9 PO, 1 E); Max Leitschuh (Sr) (8 PO, 0 E); Mathew Bywater (Sr) (2 PO, 3 A, 1 E); T. Pastrovich (Sr) (1 PO, 1 A, 0 E). Team Errors: 2. DP: 1.

• Southwestern: Johnny Kunz (So) (1 E). Team Errors: 1.