Columbia and North Ridgeville must not like each other. It seems they don’t want to spend much time together.
The Raiders and the Rangers played baseball for one hour and 15 minutes on Tuesday. It was the second straight game between the teams, dating from last season, to last only 75 minutes.
Columbia won both. Tuesday’s game featured five hits and six walks. Neither team committed an error, which led mightily to the game getting finished in such a short time.
“Both games were done in 1:15 with five hits or fewer between us,” North Ridgeville coach Mike McMillan said. “It’s worth coming out and seeing us play Columbia to see if two high school teams can finish a game in less than an hour.”
Jon Krukowski, in only his second varsity start, outdueled the Rangers’ Mike McGinty. Krukowski allowed three hits and walked three.
McGinty walked three also and yielded just two singles, but both of them drove in runs. The Raiders took advantage of leadoff walks in back-to-back innings. In both innings the runner was advanced via a bunt and knocked in with hits.
Last year’s shorty was the second game of a doubleheader. The first of that twin bill was also a pitchers’ battle, with North Ridgeville winning 2-1 in eight innings.

Who’s hot?

The season is less than two weeks old. No team has displayed dominance on a consistent basis. Even the good teams that were expected to be good have had to scrap for their victories.
So which team in this area sports the best record so far? In something of a surprise, it’s Lutheran West.
The Longhorns are 5-1 so far and 2-0 in the Patriot Athletic Conference Stripes Division. That’s a switch from last season, when West went just 7-13.
It’s something Dave Sellke did not expect. He’s a new coach with a team heavy with sophomores.
“I’m surprised by how well we have played defensively, because I’m trying new people at different positions,” Sellke said. “I’m also surprised by their discipline at the plate.”
The Longhorns beat Columbia on Wednesday in a key PAC game. Lutheran West is alone at 2-0 in the Stripes.
“I was told this was the first time in a long time we’ve beaten Columbia,” Sellke said, reminding everyone that the Raiders had dominated the Stripes Division since the founding of the PAC.
Bill Velletto, one the Longhorns’ sophomore stars, hit the first home run of his varsity career on Wednesday — a grand slam that highlighted a seven-run inning in West’s 7-5 victory. The ’Horns’ catcher also threw out a potential base stealer to stifle Columbia’s late rally. Velletto is batting .588 with 12 runs batted in.
• Wellington’s Blake Sword and Amherst’s Andrew Eliopoulos were each batting .438 through five games (7-for-16). Five of their hits were for extra bases, including two home runs for each.
• Amherst junior Ryan Bartizal hit his first home run as a varsity player in a 6-5 loss Olmsted Falls on April 10.   
Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

Andrew Eliopoulos, Amherst

YEAR: Junior
WHAT HE DID IN WEEK 1: Hit a grand slam in a 7-6 loss to St. Ignatius on April 3. Hit a walk-off homer in an 11-10 win over Avon Lake on April 7 to complete a comeback from a 10-0 deficit in the fifth inning.
OTHER SPORT: Football (quarterback)
SUMMER TEAM: American Legion Post 12 (Elyria)
IN HIS DOWN TIME: Enjoys getting together with friends for pick-up basketball games.
IN HIS FUTURE: Would like to earn a master’s degree in medicine, but is unsure which particular field he would like to enter.
PARENTS: Barb and Lou

Jon Krukowski, Columbia

YEAR: Sophomore
WHAT HE DID IN WEEK 2: Pitched a three-hit shutout for Division III Columbia in a non-conference win over Division I North Ridgeville on Tuesday.
OTHER SPORTS: Basketball, golf
SUMMER TEAM: Red Wagon Farm (Hot Stove)
IN HIS DOWN TIME: Goes camping and rides his all-terrain vehicle.
IN HIS FUTURE: “I really haven’t thought about it,” Jon says. “I’ll take it as it comes.”
PARENTS: Rich and Jodi 

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