Division I Baseball: Exeter's Battles 'awesome' In Bounce-back Start Vs. Rival Winnacunnet

EXETER – Winnacunnet held Exeter scoreless in four of the first five innings of Thursday’s Division I high school rivalry baseball game. But the Blue Hawks' seven-run second inning proved to be more than enough, as Exeter picked up a 10-0 win.

Exeter plated three more runs in the sixth inning with the game ending due to the 10-run mercy rule as Aedan Messier's two-out fly ball was misplayed in the outfield, scoring Cam Piwnicki with Exeter's 10th run.

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“It’s really important to take advantage of those opportunities, especially because (Winnacunnet has) been playing well," Exeter head coach Bruce Joyce said. "They’re more than capable, but to jump on them early in the second inning and put up a big, crooked number and get the lead like that, was good for us.”

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Exeter improved to 10-0 on the season, while Winnacunnet dropped its third straight game and fifth in its last six, and is now 4-7.

Mike Caron's three-run double and Piwinicki's two-run double did the bulk of Exeter's damage in the decisive second inning. The Blue Hawks took advantage of three walks, and a pair of Winnacunnet errors in the frame, while rattling off five hits in the second.

That cushion was more than enough for Exeter junior starter Ethan Battles, who pitched all six innings. Battles allowed three hits, a walk and a hit batter, while striking out six for the win. Joyce said the strong outing was a good bounce-back for Battles after some struggles in his last start.

“(Battle) was awesome,” Joyce said. “He hasn’t pitched in a week, and his last outing against Timberlane, he only got 3 1/3 innings in. He wasn’t sharp and he kind of struggled through it. Pitching with a lead today, he handled it really well. It looked like he was having fun out there.”

Winnacunnet coach Aaron Abood said that while the final result was disappointing, he was pleased with his young team’s effort outside of the difficult second inning.

“We could have easily let them have a couple more big innings and we didn’t,” Abood said. “We hung in there after the one big inning. Obviously, it’s very difficult for sophomores and freshmen to compete in Division I varsity baseball. The fact that they’re able to hang in there and battle teams like Pinkerton and Exeter for a number of innings is a positive.”

Winnacunnet sophomore Oscar Fritz came in with two outs in the second, and stopped the bleeding by inducing an inning-ending ground out. He then pitched three scoreless innings before getting touched for three runs in the sixth. Fritz pitched 3 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs, while striking out three.

“Fritz came in and threw four solid innings before he got tired a little bit at the end,” Abood said. “But you can take away a positive from the way he pitched. He has come in and thrown well for us a few times this year. He’s going to have more opportunities these last three weeks.”

Piwnicki and Caron both had two hits and three RBIs for the Blue Hawks, while Kyle Morgado had three hits, and Finn Adams, Hayden Schimoler, Brennan Schimoler all had wo.

Sophomores Bryce Pinsonnault and Ethan Roy, and junior Ryan Giuffre all had one hit for the Warriors. Pinsonnault was also hit by a pitch.

Winnacunnet will host Dover on Monday, while Exeter will visit Trinity on Monday.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Battles, Exeter baseball beats Seacoast Division I rival Winnacunnet