PORTAGE —
Pitcher Sean Kennel threw a complete game to save defending champ New Orleans from an early AAABA exit, beating Zanesville 4-1.
The right-handed Kennel threw 98 pitches, struck out five and allowed just four hits in the victory Tuesday afternoon.
“Sean Kennel is one of our aces,” New Orleans manager Bill Babin said. “He’s just been a bulldog all year, and I know he wanted the complete game real bad. Sean really conditions himself well and prides himself on trying to throw complete games. I think in the ninth, he may have been better than he was in the middle of the game.”
Kennel, a power pitcher, said after the game that it was his first complete, nine-inning performance of his career.
“I came out pretty excited (in the ninth),” Kennel said with a smile, “I felt confident in my team that if I put the ball on the ground that they were going to make the plays.”
Both teams made spectacular defensive plays.
In the top of the sixth inning, center fielder Sean McMullen made a sliding, highlight-reel scoop that saved a run for New Orleans. Zanesville shortstop Chase Houston made an incredible diving stop to keep the game close for his team in the fifth, and New Orleans third basemen Harold Tuscano made two nearly identical snag-and-throw plays down the third base line, well beyond the bag, to get runners at first.
“I know all of our pitchers say that no matter what Harold does (at the plate), we need him at third base,” Babin said. “He made two major league plays that really got us out of jams.”
The first of Tuscano’s deep assists came in the fifth inning with two runners in scoring position.
Zanesville leadoff hitter Wade Kaido belted a ball down the line that seemed sure to score at least a run, but Tuscano tracked it down and rocketed the ball over to first just in time to beat out Kaido and end the inning.
Offensively, it was New Orleans’ Alex Prestenback that carried the load, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs against Zanesville left-hander Brandon Smith.
Prestenback notched New Orleans’ first score, hitting a solo homer in the second. He then came through with a game-changing two-run double in the sixth to secure the lead.
“We really have a good, unselfish group of young men, and they really pull for each other,” Babin said. “They know that they are going to kind of get platooned depending on left hand or right hand and Alex got his chance and made the best of it.”
New Orleans plays Martella’s Pharmacy at 1 p.m. today.
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Kennel tosses gem to lift New Orleans
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