Ottawa blanks Serena 7-0, extends hot start to 4-1

OTTAWA – Ottawa continued its strong start to the season with a 7-0 victory over Serena on Tuesday, improving its record to 4-1.

Ottawa starting pitcher Brendyn Fuchs earned the win, tossing four hitless innings, striking out five and walking one. Fuchs also contributed with his bat, going 1 for 3 with an RBI single.

Fuchs explained that his approach on the mound was to just keep things simple.

“I was just trying to pound the zone and get ahead in counts,” Fuchs said. “I trust my teammates behind me, so I know if I just throw strikes, everything will work out.”

Relief pitcher Brody Pagakis closed out the game with three innings of shutout work, allowing just one hit, striking out two and walking one.

Pagakis also came through with a base hit and an RBI in his lone plate appearance.

“We knew those two [Fuchs and Pagakis] would be in the mix today,” Ottawa coach Levi Ericson said. “We challenged them to throw strikes and be as effective as they could, and they did just that. Credit to them for staying in the zone and getting through it.”

Ottawa’s defense was shaky early, committing multiple errors in the opening innings. However, the team cleaned things up as the game went on.

Despite their positive record, Ericson pointed out that slow starts and early mental lapses have been a recurring theme in the early part of the season so far.

“We’ve really been working on cleaning up those mistakes,” he said. “The positive message is getting harder when those errors keep happening, but credit to the guys for bouncing back and getting better as the game went on. They were able to clear their minds and make the next play.”

The Pirates scored all seven of their runs on just five hits, drawing nine walks in the process.

Right fielder Jace Veith led the offense, reaching base three times with a 1-for-2 performance that included a double and two walks, while second baseman Colin Fowler paced the Pirates in run production, going 1 for 2 with a single and two RBIs.

“Our guys had a solid approach at the plate today. I think we did a good job of being patient and taking what the pitchers gave us, which led to a lot of walks,” Ericson said. “We definitely still have room to improve, especially with our two-strike approach.”

Serena struggled mightily at the plate, with its only opportunities to get runners in scoring position coming from errors or wild pitches. The Huskers went through the order exactly three times, managing one hit and two walks.

Shortstop Ryne DeBernardi was the only Husker to record a hit, while right fielder Ethan Stark drew both of the team’s walks.

Ottawa (4-1) will travel to Pontiac on Thursday, while Serena (0-2) will host Aurora Christian, looking for their first win of the season.