FRANKLIN — The DuBois Central Catholic made the trek west to Franklin on Friday afternoon to square off with Rocky Grove High School, and the trip home was made all the sweeter by the fact that the Cardinals had won their seventh-straight game with a 5-1 victory, pushing their record to 9-1.
DCC jumped on their opponent with two first-inning runs, then added one in each of the even innings — the second, fourth and sixth — while allowing just the one run — a solo tally in the home half of the fifth.
Carter Himes earned the start for DCC, and he did what he’s done so far this season — dominated. He pitched a complete game, striking out 14, not walking any, and allowing just four hits. The one run on his record was not earned.
Offensively, DCC made the most of their opportunities despite having just six hits — all singles. Evan Burton and Kellan Hoover each had one of those hits, and each also drove in a pair of runs. Aiden Keller, Brayden Zatsick, Porter Price and Xavier Schwentner had the other hits.
DCC scored two in the first after Zatsick reached on a leadoff walk and stole second. He scored on a Burton single, and three more walks in a row — to Schwentner, Colton Sachs and Hoover — plated Burton to make it 2-0.
Price and Zatsick singled back-to-back to lead off the top of the second, and after Himes reached on an error to load the bases, Burton was hit by a pitch, forcing Price home and giving Burton a painful RBI.
They tacked on another insurance run in the fourth thanks to a leadoff walk to Himes, who was then retired on a fielder’s choice off Burton’s bat. He took second on a walk to Schwentner, then scored on a pair of passed balls to make it 4-0.
After a solo run in the bottom of the fifth for Rocky Grove, DCC capped its scoring in the sixth with Schwentner singling with one out, taking second on a passed ball and coming home on Hoover’s single to center, setting the 5-1 final score.
DCC (9-1) is back in action today at 2 p.m. against Clarion-Limestone.
In other baseball action from Friday:
Central Mountain 13, Punxsy 3 (5 innings)
While the Cardinals went west, the Chucks went east to Mill Hall’s Central Mountain High School, where they weren’t welcomed very nicely by their hosts. Central Mountain scored 13 runs — including 10 in the home half of the second — to power past Punxsy, 13-3 in five innings.
Punxsy’s pitching duo of Scout Ryen and Nolan Stahlman ceded just eight hits in allowing the 13 runs, walking six between them, but the home team strung them together to be efficient, including the big second inning, where they got six of those eight hits.
The Punxsy offense was led by Maddox Hetrick’s two-hit day, and he added an RBI. Lucas Mennitti, Nevin Day and Ryen all added singles, and Parker Stahlman and Mennitti each drove in one run.
The Chucks (4-6) have dropped three straight and five of their last seven. They’ll look to rebound on Wednesday at St. Marys.
Union/AC Valley 12, Johnsonburg 1 (5 inn.)
The Rams managed just three hits and one run against UACV Ryan Armagost, who struck out seven and walked three in a five-inning complete game, 12-1 win for his team.
Jace Zimmerman, TJ Gardner and Walker Miller each tallied one hit for the Rams, and Frankie Miller, Bryce Porter and Drew Tutton split time on the mound.
Johnsonburg (0-10) plays next at Kane — a double-header — on Wednesday.