WADSWORTH — Protect “The Swamp,” baby.
Wadsworth’s Cameron Deemer pitches during the sixth inning. AARON JOSEFCZYK/GAZETTE
The timing couldn’t have been better for the Wadsworth baseball team, which believed it was facing a virtual must-win situation Wednesday against Hudson. There was no way the Grizzlies were going to lose on the 3-year-old home field they call “The Swamp” — a nickname that stuck early on because of the facility’s reputation for draining poorly.
Cameron Deemer tossed a three-hitter and Chris Byers demolished a back-breaking grand slam in the fourth inning, leading Wadsworth to a nearly flawless 7-0 victory.
“The Swamp” remains unconquered.
The Grizzlies (14-4-1, 10-2) moved into sole possession of first place in the Suburban League National Division with the win over the Explorers (11-6, 7-5) coupled with Twinsburg (14-4, 8-3) losing to Nordonia (10-7, 7-4) for the second straight day.
Wadsworth also extended its all-time record at its home field to 37-0-1 — the mark does not include the Grizzlies beating North Royalton at A.C. Field on April 12 — and scored a run for the 76th straight game overall.
The postgame huddle was broken with “1, 2, 3 … P-T-S,” which stands for “Protect The Swamp.”
“Just like in past years, we come out and we played fired up,” Deemer said. “We have a record to defend, and we come out here and play hard.”
Coach Greg Pickard’s team entered play with a two-game losing streak, but the Grizzlies led 1-0 when A.J. Robinson (2-for-4,
2 runs) came home on an outfield error in the first inning. The score remained unchanged until the fourth.
That’s when Wadsworth exploded, as Luke Clinton smacked a line-drive solo home run, Jacob Kries doubled and Deemer and Robinson singled to chase starter Doug Erb (1-3). Side-arming reliever Sam Winston then walked Craig Palidar to load the bases and bring up Byers.
Byers wasted little time crushing the hit of his life, depositing a 1-0 fastball high into the stratosphere for a no-doubt grand slam that gave Wadsworth a 7-0 lead.
Wadsworth’s Chris Byers celebrates after hitting a grand slam off Hudson relief pitcher Sam Winston during the fifth inning. AARON JOSEFCZYK/GAZETTE
“I went up and there was a submariner coming in, so I wasn’t sure what to think,” Byers said. “I knew I needed to keep back my weight and wait for a pitch to drive. It was a fastball right down the middle. Immediately (after swinging), I thought, ‘That felt good.”’
With the way Deemer (4-1, 1.87 ERA) was pitching, the game was all but over.
The Heidelberg recruit was making his first start since getting knocked around by Twinsburg on April 18. Deemer zeroed in after walking the first two batters, facing the minimum over a 13-batter stretch with help from two would-be base stealers getting gunned down at second by catcher Palidar.
Deemer also struck out the side in the fourth and helped his cause with an RBI single. The right-hander featuring a changeup and hard-biting curveball walked two, hit two batters and struck out nine to improve to 12-3 with a 2.15 ERA in his three-year career.
“My fastball was working really well,” he said. “I felt electric today.”
The Grizzlies now have a margin for error in the SL National race, as they only need one win to clinch a share of their third straight league championship. A home-and-home against Nordonia is all that separates Wadsworth from history.
If that history is any indicator, the Knights better get the Grizzlies on Tuesday, because Wednesday the teams will play at “The Swamp.”
“Honestly, it was a team effort,” Deemer said. “Everyone was chipping in a little bit.”
Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com.
Wadsworth 7, Hudson 0
HUDSON 000 000 0 — 0 3 1
WADSWORTH 100 600 x — 7 9 0
WP — Cameron Deemer (4-1) 7 innings, 2 walks, 2 hit by pitches, 9 strikeouts. LP — Doug Erb (1-3) 3⅓innings, 5 runs, 4 earned, 8 hits, walk, strikeout. Hudson (11-6, 7-5). Wadsworth (14-4-1, 10-2) — A.J. Robinson 2 singles, 2 runs; Chris Byers grad slam; Luke Clinton solo home run; Ross Thompson double.