Leitschuh’s Power, Pastrovich’s Arm Lead Litchfield Past Athens 13-2

The Litchfield varsity baseball team showcased a dominant, well-rounded performance on Monday afternoon, cruising to a 13-2 road victory over non-conference foe Athens in a game shortened to six innings. Backed by a relentless 13-hit offensive attack and a suffocating start on the mound, the Purple Panthers controlled the contest from the first pitch.

Litchfield’s lineup wasted no time putting the pressure on the hosts. The Panthers scratched across a run in the top of the first inning before erupting for a four-run rally in the second to establish a commanding 5-0 advantage. They kept their foot on the gas as the game progressed, adding two more runs in the third and another in the fifth to build a comfortable cushion.

Senior Max Leitschuh anchored the middle of the Litchfield order with a monster day at the plate. Leitschuh launched a home run, went 2-for-3 overall, and drove in a game-high five runs.

He was joined in the offensive onslaught by fellow seniors Ethan Saathoff and Mathew Bywater, who served as constant catalysts at the top of the lineup. Saathoff tallied three hits—including a pair of doubles—scored three times, and drove in two runs. Bywater matched him with three hits of his own, adding three runs scored, two RBIs, and a pair of stolen bases to keep the Athens defense off balance.

On the mound, T. Pastrovich turned in a stellar starting performance for Litchfield to earn the victory. The senior navigated five efficient innings, allowing just two runs on three hits while striking out seven Athens batters and issuing only one walk.

Athens struggled to find an offensive rhythm against Pastrovich, managing their only breakthrough in the bottom of the fifth inning when they plated two runs to cut the Litchfield lead to 8-2. However, the Panthers immediately extinguished any hopes of a late comeback. Litchfield exploded for five runs in the top of the sixth inning to push the lead to 11 runs.

Senior Titan Hires, who also contributed an RBI double at the plate, came out of the bullpen to slam the door in the bottom of the sixth. Hires tossed a hitless inning, striking out two batters to seal the decisive 13-2 win.

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

(Note: Innings played)
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|
| Litchfield | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | – | 13 | 13 | 1 |
| Athens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 3 | 1 |

Scoring Drives

• 1st Inning: Litchfield opens the scoring with a single run in the top half.

• 2nd Inning: The Panthers’ offense erupts for four runs to take a 5-0 lead.

• 3rd Inning: Litchfield plates two more runs to extend their advantage.

• 5th Inning: Litchfield tacks on a run in the top half. Athens gets on the board with two runs in the bottom of the inning.

• 6th Inning: Litchfield answers decisively with a five-run frame to put the game out of reach.

Individual Statistics

BATTING:

• Litchfield: Max Leitschuh 2-3, HR, 5 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB; Ethan Saathoff 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, 3 R; Mathew Bywater 3-4, 2 RBI, 3 R; Titan Hires 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI; T. Pastrovich 2-4; Landon Wernsing 1-2, 2 R; Kaiden Law 1-3, 2 R; Cal Frerichs 0-0, 2 R, 1 BB.

• Athens: Team Totals: 3 Hits, 2 R. (Individual stats not provided)

BASERUNNING:

• Litchfield: Mathew Bywater 2 SB; Ethan Saathoff 1 SB; Max Leitschuh 1 SB.

PITCHING:

• Litchfield: T. Pastrovich (W) 5.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 7 K; Titan Hires 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K.

• Athens: (Individual stats not provided)