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Young (and Restless) Star for Newts on Opening Day
LYNN STREET- It was a day for both the old and new as the 14th season of New Carlisle Newts wiffleball kicked off on Sunday afternoon at Rocko's Park. The Newts (3-0) swept the Lynn Street Leprechauns, 17-5, 9-3, and 17-8.
With the start of the ORWBL season delayed four weeks by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the veteran Newts had extra time to knock off the cobwebs in preparation for Opening Day. The team was also able to make two late preseason signings, adding young guns Aidan Cotter and Connor VanOverberghe to the mix.
The day began with the old guard reintroducing themselves, as Garrett Curless and Scott Soos led off the opener with back-to-back home runs. For Soos, his first home run of the day was the 400th of his ORWBL career, most all-time in league history.
Curless hit five home runs in the first game, while Scott Soos hit four. Matt Soos, Koby Keck, and Cotter all added two each as the Newts built up a 17-1 lead before the Leps pushed four runs across in the bottom of the sixth to give the game its final tally.
Cotter got the win with a very efficient effort on the mound.
Game two saw an entirely different lineup, as 11 Newts saw action in the series. Curless still set the table, going three-for-five with a homer to start the game.
Matt Went added two more long balls, while Noah Shail, Ryan Galiher, and Zarek Finley all hit dingers as well.
Curless was flawless on the mound against every Leprechaun not named Jordan Peck, as Peck drove in all three Lynn Street runs on two bombs.
In the finale, Peck terrorized Newts pitcher Keck in the early innings. The skipper allowed six runs in the second and the Leps took their first lead of the series at 6-4.
But the Newts roared back with a six-spot of their own, highlighted by a Cotter grand slam to give New Carlisle a 10-6 advantage that they would not relinquish.
Scott Soos and Shail added two more homers each for good measure. Galiher, with a home run from the left side of the plate, and VanOverberghe, with his first dinger for the Newts, also joined in on the fun.
With plenty of run support, Keck settled down the rest of the way to get the win.
The sweep marked the first time New Carlisle has started a season 3-0 since 2015, when the Newts opened the year with three wins against the Soggy Bottom Boys at Dapper Dan Field.
New Carlisle will open up Migley Field next Sunday, June 7 against Elkhart (2-1) at 1:20pm ET. Newcomer Garrett Ruiz is expected to make his Newts debut.
