The Wilmington High School baseball team opened its season Saturday with a doubleheader split with visiting Little Miami.
The Hurricane won the first game 7-5 then lost the nightcap 8-0.
In the opener, Wilmington grabbed an early lead and never trailed as Jordan Ianson registered the pitching victory, WHS coach Rick Kneisel said. Ianson went five innings and gave up two earned runs on three hits. He struck out eight and walked one.
Chris Wolary had two of Wilmington’s eight hits on the day. Brad Keller scored the first run of the day thanks to a pair of Little Miami errors. Wolary doubled and scored on a balk in the second for a 2-0 lead.
In the third, WHS plated three runs. Andrew Davis doubled to start the inning then Keller, Stephen Krause, Wolary and Brady McCune all singled as the ’Cane grabbed a 5-0 lead.
After Little Miami made it 5-2, Wilmington bounced back. Kaden Laufer reached on an error then scored on Keller’s sacrifice fly, 6-2, in the fourth.
McCune pitched the final two innings to close out the win, though he gave up a pair of runs in the seventh to make things interesting.
In the second game, Wilmington had just five hits while Little Miami collected 17 hits.
Keller pitched four innings and gave up just one run and six hits. Because WHS never scored, he was tagged with the loss.
Wilmington kept it 1-0 in the fourth when Wilmington executed two successful rundown plays on the same batted ball for a double play.
In the fifth, WHS sophomore lefty Brett Bell struggled in his first varsity outing, Kneisel said. Brad McCune pitched the final two innings.
Kneisel noted the varsity debut of freshman DJ Ames, who collected a single, double and walk.
