FREMONT – The Little Giants’ baseball team is two games into its season but still waiting for the offense to find itself at the plate.
Ross struggled with its approach at the plate, totaling just three hits and walks in a 4-1 loss to Bowling Green Saturday afternoon. Though the Little Giants have just eight hits and five runs in their first two games, both losses, first-year coach Jared King isn’t about the sound the alarm just yet.
“We’ve been doing different drills and stuff in practice to try and simulate (live pitching) but it’s not the same thing,” King said. “I feel, hopefully, as we continue to go and get more at-bats in game situations, it should tend to improve.”
Ross committed two errors on the day, both coming in the early going, leading to Bowling Green runs in the tops of the first and second innings.
The Little Giants finally got some offense in the fifth inning. Karson Wojdyla reached base on a Bowling Green fielding error and was later driven home on an RBI single by Noah Hotz to make it a 2-1 game. The Little Giants, however, left the bases loaded in the inning and never again threatened offensively.
“We’re still not taking the best approaches at the plate, we’re not aggressive early in the count,” King said. “We’re getting good pitches to hit and then, later in the count, we’re starting to chase his pitches and his approach on the mound. I’d like to see them be more aggressive on those better pitches early in the count on those fastballs that we can drive.”
Beyond the errors in the early-going, the Little Giant defense kept the game close behind the pitching of Trey Ickes. Ickes threw six innings scattering six hits and two walks with just two earned runs while picking up five strikeouts. While his strikeout total was half of his debut in Ross’ season-opening loss to Tiffin Columbian, Ickes also cut down hit walk total from six to two. King said he’ll happily trade a few strikeouts in exchange for Ickes’ improved control of his pitches.
“I have all the faith in the world that we can play well defensively so, if we continue to get those outs and he has better command and we’re not putting ourselves in sticky situations by giving up free bases, …I’ll absolutely be OK with not as many strikeouts,” King said.
“Trey looked very well today, pitched well. He is a guy that we’re going to rely on heavily this year. He had another 100-some pitches today. He had good movement on his pitches, good stuff around the zone. He gave us a chance today. I was very pleased with what I saw from him.”
If the weather cooperates, the Little Giants will be in store for a busy week next week, playing five games in five days. Ross travels Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday to Fostoria, Findlay and Whitmer, respectively, before returning home for a doubleheader against Oak Harbor on Saturday.
“You got to come every day and be prepared to go, whether you play or not,” King said. “The thing with that many games in a week is if you’re able to spread out your pitching and make sure you’re putting yourself in the best possible position to win each game.”
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