Tri-Valley, Licking Valley baseball work out the kinks in scrimmage

On Mar 16, 2023

DRESDEN ― When visiting Licking Valley and Tri-Valley took the Kenny Wolford Park diamond in Wednesday’s chill for a baseball scrimmage, there were a lot of similarities between the neighboring rivals.

Both are hoping to produce more runs for what should be strong pitching staffs. Both are led by seniors who are three-sport standouts, with Hansel Holmes (football, swimming and baseball) for the Scotties, and Theo Walsh (football, wrestling and baseball) for the Panthers. Both have enough experience, and upcoming talent, to contend for league and district titles. And both have a lot of players who are familiar with each other.

As fate would have it, the teams battled on pretty even terms Wednesday. Tri-Valley, playing its first scrimmage of the spring, exploded for seven runs in the first inning, but Licking Valley, in its second, fought back with six in the fourth as the Scotties eventually prevailed 12-10. Neither team used its ace, as TV senior Landon Harney is working his way back from a stress fracture in his back, while sophomore southpaw Evan Lichtenauer figures to build on a stellar freshman season for the Panthers.

“We’re obviously a different team when Landon is on the mound,” said Scotties’ coach Marc Hadley, whose team went 17-7 in 2022. “He was 5-4 last season, and it could have been 10-0. It was a lot of 2-1, 1-0 games, and we need to find a way to score runs behind our pitching.”

Holmes started for TV on Wednesday and was solid through three innings, allowing two runs and no hits. The Scotties took advantage of five first-inning walks issued by LV’s Wyatt Binckley and put seven on the board, with Kelynn Drummond, Wyatt Brocklehurst and Brady Kaufman producing RBI singles and Derrick Stotts chasing home two more runs with another hit. Kaufman, a sophomore shortstop, later added a two-run single, while Bennett Baker had an RBI double and Drummonds a run-scoring single. Ashton Sensibaugh doubled.

“I struggled a little with control today, but I’m happy with where I am,” Holmes said. “We have seven seniors who have provided a lot of leadership, but we also have a ton of talented younger guys like Brady Kaufman. I’m excited to see what they’re going to do.”

“Brady started as a freshman, before an elbow injury took him out. He can play all over the field, and we’re going to see what he can do on the mound, too,” Hadley said. “The top five in our lineup day were all returning starters, and we hit some younger guys at the bottom of the order to see what they could do.”

Senior Caden Leckrone and sophomores Kade Hindel and Keaton Hahn followed Holmes on the mound Wednesday, and Licking Valley finally got its offense going in the fourth inning. Brenden Moore had a sacrifice fly, while Hayden Rodgers, Ethan Lohr and Gunner Bowman followed with run-producing hits in the Panthers’ six-run inning. Walsh and Rodgers drew a combined five walks and scored four runs at the top of the order. Bowman and Gavin Bragg chipped in with two apiece.

Bragg, sophomore Colton Chaney (1 1-3 scoreless innings) and veteran senior Colby Conn (no hits allowed and an unearned run over two innings) followed Binckley on the hill for the Panthers.

“We have a lot of guys who have played in a lot of varsity games for us,” said Conn, who will lock into the top of the LV rotation with Lichtenauer. “We still have to create bonds, and once we do, we’ll be tough to beat. We have the skills, the pitching and the hitting. We just have to put them all together. We don’t have our signs in yet, and we’ll play a lot of small ball, so that will be a part of it, too.”

Coach Adam Arcuri has 16 players with varsity experience back from a youthful team that endured an 11-13, roller coaster of a season. The Panthers certainly look good on paper. They just have to show it on the field. Versatile Trent Clark and first baseman Brody Bishop are currently nursing injuries, but they hope to be back within the next two or three weeks. LV has also scrimmaged Dublin Coffman, and still has Mount Vernon and Sheridan before the regular season starts March 25.

“We took our lumps last year, and we have a chance to be pretty good if we put it all together,” Arcuri said. “We just need to focus on what we can control, and that’s attitude and effort. Guys are starting to buy in, but it’s going to be a process to get there. Attention to detail, the little things, will determine if we contend for league and district titles.”

Tri-Valley also has lofty goals. The Scotties will find out where they stand, with scrimmages still to come against Newark Catholic, Ridgewood and Garaway.

“Expectations are high,” Holmes said. “Two years ago, we were on the doorstep of a district title. Winning the league is always the number one goal, and as coach Hadley says, everything starts from there.”