By Dan Machovina

PBR Ohio Assistant Scouting Director

 

PARMA, OH – It was a beautiful day for a Division I regional semi-finals game between No. 23 Lakewood St. Edward (17-9) and No. 40 North Royalton (20-7). With both teams’ seasons on the line fans would see each team’s respective number one pitcher on the mound.

St. Edwards would send senior RHP Michael Cuva while North Royalton countered with senior RHP Frank Frate (Ranked No. 248). Frate would turn in a complete game performance to lead the North Royalton Bears passed the St. Edward Eagles in a 4-1 victory.

Going through the first three innings scoreless, North Royalton started the top of the fourth inning with a leadoff single from senior 2B Nate Kocan. A sacrifice bunt and an RBI single to left center field from senior catcher Evan Willmann would drive home Kocan.

St. Edwards’ left-fielder would try to gun down Kocan at the plate but the throw was not in time, St. Edwards’ catcher then tried to throw out Willmann trying to take second base but the ball sailed and would eventually allow Willmann to score on the play making it a 2-0 lead for the Bears.

The Eagles would come up with an answer in the bottom of the fourth inning.

The inning started with a leadoff double down the left field line from junior OF Kyle Hegedus (Ranked No. 176) and then a bunt single from junior OF Darien Knowles (Ranked No. 136).

With one out, junior OF Shayne Erny grounded out to the short-stop allowing Hegedus to score the run making it a 2-1 game after four innings.

The Bears would respond with one run each in the fifth and sixth innings.

In the fifth, it was the second hit of the day, an RBI single to center field from Kocan that made it a 3-1 game.

In the sixth inning, North Royalton would score a run courtesy of senior 1B Dominick Pissini’s RBI triple to right-field giving Royalton a 4-1 lead and making it the final score of the game.

North Royalton’s RHP Cuva went the distance, he allowed five hits, zero walks, struck out one, giving up the one earned run, giving him the key performance.

North Royalton moves on to face a Sylvania Southview team which beat Anthony Wayne in the other Regional semi-final.

To view scouting notes from this game, please visit the Ohio High School Scouting Blog. The blog gets updated throughout the week.

To discuss this game, please visit our partner JJHuddle.