The Amherst baseball team have ripped a page from the 2007 Cleveland Indians’ playbook. Or maybe both the Comets and the Indians ripped a page from the Three Stooges’ playbook.
In any event, the Comets have taken up the practice of shoving pies in the faces of teammates being interviewed on television. The interviews are conducted by students involved in the school’s television broadcasting class. The students film the games and speak with the key participants.
That’s where the pies come in, although they aren’t real pies but whipped cream in a pie plate. Ryan Bartizal and Connor Weir were victims after Amherst’s 10-1 victory over Westlake on Monday.
Weir is, in fact, one of two players on the Comets’ varsity who’s also a student in the TV class, according to coach Al McConihe. Mark Coughlin is the other.
“We don’t discourage it,” McConihe said of the pie attacks. “It keeps everybody loose.”
The Comets will need to be relaxed. The Southwestern Conference is once again a league with no dominating team. Amherst and Westlake lead the pack at 5-2. Brecksville is right behind at 4-3 and Berea has won its last three SWC games.

Futility ends

Oberlin ended its 33-game losing streak — and gave
second-year coach Phil Kuchta his first victory — in dramatic fashion Saturday. The Phoenix scored with two out in the bottom of the seventh to defeat Glenville, 9-8, in non-conference play.
“When Erickson Andrews hit that line drive over their shortstop’s head the reaction was like the seventh game of the World Series,” Kuchta said. “It was awesome.”
Andrews, a freshman, drove in Wade Yarber from third with his hit. The Phoenix had squandered a fairly comfortable lead in the previous inning as errors, a big problem for Kuchta’s young team, allowed Glenville to erase an 8-5 Oberlin advantage.
“I’m especially happy for Tyler Gerber and Dylan Rogers,” Kuchta said. “They stuck it out from last season and they’ve shown great senior leadership. The team deserves the win and many more to come.”

Put me in, coach

Two important pieces of their respective teams’ puzzles from the 2007 season saw their first action of 2008 recently.
Jamal Abed, recovering from labrum surgery, returned to play for Westlake. Abed was penciled in at either shortstop of third base for this year, but because of his surgery he’s limited to designated hitter duty.
Still, Abed has done what he does best — get on base. He walked four times in his first six
at-bats and went 3-for-4 in a 6-2 victory over Avon Lake on Wednesday.
Andrew Thomas, one of Lutheran West’s better players, retuned to the Longhorns’ this week. Thomas has pitched four shutout innings over Lutheran West’s last two games. He was out of action following an appendectomy.

How’s that?

Westlake coach Jeff Short has to blink when going over the numbers his team put up after nine games.
“I’m not sure how we can be 7-2, but we’ll take it,” said Short, noting that his club was batting just .268, had a 2.95 team earned run average and was committing three-and-a-half errors per game (the Demons were 8-3 after Wednesday). “Give the guys credit for finding ways to come back and win.”
One pleasant surprise has been junior Will Shortreed, doing it both with his bat and arm. Shortreed is the Demons’ closer and hasn’t allowed a run in 52/3 innings while striking out nine and notching two saves. At the plate he recently enjoyed a three-game stretch in which had a home run and four RBIs.
Contact Steve Byrne at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Joe Latsko, Avon Lake

CLASS: Junior
LAST WEEK: In four games, went 8-for-16 with two doubles, two triples, a home run and 12 runs batted in.
SUMMER TEAM: American Legion Post No. 211 (Avon Lake)
IN HIS FREE TIME: Likes to hunt — anything from deer to birds to small game — and fish for anything that’s biting. Also enjoys playing pickup basketball games.
FUTURE PLANS: Would like to attend a college where he could major in criminal justice and play varsity baseball.
PARENTS: Marianne and Joe

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