Shannon Eldreth/Special to Portage Sports

By Roger Gordon

Correspondent

Field is ranked fifth in the state in Division IV for a reason.

The Falcons have won seven games in a row and are 17-4 on the season.

They are winning close games as well as winning colossal routs, including Wednesday’s 11-2 win over Streetsboro that clinched a share of the Metro Athletic Conference championship with Norton.

It is the Falcons’ second consecutive league title.

Setting up the title, the Falcons sandwiched a thrilling 7-6 victory over West Branch last Saturday (May 10) at home on Senior Night with a pair of routs called after five innings due to the 10-run rule: A 12-1 triumph May 9 at Southeast and a 12-0 win May 12 at Springfield.

Field won in walk-off fashion in its win over the Warriors. With two outs and the score 6- 6 in the bottom of the seventh inning, junior center fielder Caden Kolesar singled up the middle to drive home senior Chip Wagner from second base.

“West Branch was state champs last year,” head coach Joe Peterson said. “They do a fantastic job, so it’s always good to play them, tough to play them. It was fitting that a senior scored the winning run. We pinch ran Chip for another senior, who was hit by a pitch. Chip then stole second base.”

In the win over the Pirates, the Falcons exploded out of the gate, scoring nine runs in the first inning and three in the second.

“(The fast start) always makes things a little bit easier, that’s for sure,” Peterson said.

The game was part of the 18th annual David Starkey Memorial Baseball Classic hosted each year by Kent Roosevelt.

Senior designated hitter Drexal McAmis had a double, a single, two RBI and a run; junior infielder Joey Conroy had two singles, an RBI and three runs; senior shortstop Grady Eader singled twice, knocked in three runs and scored once; and Kolesar singled twice, drove home a run and plated two runs.

Pitching wise, junior Sam Confer started and went four innings, giving up a run and two hits while striking out five hitters and walking one.

“It looked like the old Sam Confer who we saw early in the season,” said the coach. “He was free and easy and letting it rip. It was good to see.”

Freshman James Roberts pitched the final inning.

Field scored four runs in the first and five in the second in the win over the Spartans. Kolesar doubled, McAmis tripled and Eader socked a two-run homer.

Senior Alec Grimm started and went the distance, yielding six hits while fanning five and walking no one.

“Alec did a great job,” said the coach. “He pounded the strike zone. He gave us a chance, competed.”