Though their six-game win streak was snapped over the weekend during tournament play, the Wayne Seniors were able to close out the past week with a respectable road win in league competition, taking their record to 7-3 this season. Blake Bartos came to the ballpark Monday night as a man on a mission, tallying four hits and leading the Blue Devils to an 8-3 win over Crofton. Bartos went 4-for-4 at the plate – singling in the first and second, then tripling in the fifth and sixth innings – to help spark the offense. James Dorcey got the pitching win for Wayne, striking out eight while allowing three runs on four hits in a complete game performance.
Uncharacteristic of how they’ve played during the regular season thus far, the Devils went 0-3 during the 2021 Wood Bat Tournament, played in both Wakefield and Wayne. The Wayne Legion Seniors fell behind early and couldn’t come back in an 11-0 loss to Arlington Sunday afternoon. The Blue Devils couldn’t buy a hit, and Max Miller was given the unenviable task of trying to shut down the high-powered Arlington offense from the pitcher’s mound, with little success. Though Miller allowed just two hits, 10 runs were put up during his one and one-third innings of throwing.
Wayne’s second game of the tourney closed out Saturday night’s schedule – but even the lights of Hank Overin Field weren’t bright enough to shine a path to victory as the Devils fell to Beresford (S.D.), 7-1. Wayne’s Seniors were very much in the ball game until the top of the fifth when Beresford put up five runs to pull away for good. Brock Hopkins led Wayne with one hit in three at bats. Jacob Kneifl suffered the pitching loss, allowing seven runs on seven hits while striking out six and walking one in five innings of work.
The Blue Devils’ opening game of the tournament was a similar story, though the runs were more spread out across the six innings played against the Wahoo State Bank Reds. Wahoo bested the home ball club, 8-1. Wayne lost despite outhitting Wahoo (five hits to four), led by Bartos who went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead team offensively. Defensively, Bartos allowed six runs over three and a third innings, despite only giving up one hit – as his supporting cast committed four costly errors. He sat four batters in the loss.
In regular league play last Wednesday, June 9, at home, Wayne held off a late rally by Scribner-Hooper to prevail, 10-9. The Blue Devil batters saw the ball well that night, registering eight hits in the game. Reid Korth, Dorcey and Miller each managed two hits for Wayne. Bartos led things off on the hill, surrendering three runs on two hits over three innings, while striking out two.
Wayne was in Columbus to battle Columbus Lakeview Wednesday night and will next face off against Ponca at home this coming Monday. The boys will then travel to Arlington on Wednesday to see if they can get their win back from the Wood Bat Tournament. Both the latter games are scheduled for an 8 p.m. first pitch.
