This week was full of triumphs for the Academy’s baseball team, which emerged victorious from each of its four games. On Monday, April 18, after a stalemate in the third inning that left the Vikings in a tie with Bexley, a rapid-fire fourth-inning burst was enough for the boys to come out on top at 9-3. Batting highlights include Matthew Watters’16 and Nick Stringer’17, each with three hits. Grey Harmon’16 pitched for five innings of the game, with thirteen first-pitch strikes and nine strikeouts, helping the team defensively. Stringer also had six first pitch strikes in just two innings.

On Tuesday, April 19, the Vikes crushed opponent, Madison Plains, in an impressive 15-1 win. Led by Watters, who was successful batting three hits and defensively with twelve first-pitch strikes and eight strikeouts, other highlights included offensive play by  Stringer, Darren Bates’17, Ryan Mitchell’18 and Nick Rothmann’19.

The Vikings faced off against Whitehall Yearling on Wednesday, April 20, topping the Rams by the slimmest margin with a score of 6-5. Despite Whitehall’s advance in the sixth inning, the boys held off their opponent with a strong showing defensively. The young talent of the team was on display with Rothmann, a freshman and Matthew Sailing’18 pitching. Rothmann threw eighteen first-pitch strikes and five strikeouts while Sailing had five first-pitch strikes and one strikeout. Offensive highlights of the game included Watters, Sailing, Bates, and Harmon.

Finally, on Thursday, April 21, after trailing behind even after the fourth inning, the boys pulled ahead with a rapid-fire scoring of three runs in the fifth inning, winning 4-2 against West Jefferson. Batting highlights include Stringer with two hits and Mitchell and Rothmann, each with one walk. Junior Matthew Schimtz’17 pitched all five innings with sixteen first-pitch strikes and two strikeouts, keeping West Jefferson from scoring.

The team has four games this week and  a doubleheader on Saturday, April 30, against Cardington-Lincoln.