Cooperstown Baseball: Wilton Warriors 9 - Baseball U (PA) 3

Needing a victory to move on in the first game of the single elimination tournament, Ryan Johnson scattered six hits in 4 2/3 innings on the hill for the Warriors while walking just two, to keep Baseball U in check while the Wilton bats went to work.

After yielding a run in the top of the first on a walk and a hit, the Warrior offense struck back to take the lead for good, 2-1.  Eli Ackerman and Ryan van Heyst led off the game with singles and were driven in by ground outs from Sam Strazza and Ryan Sorbo.

After Johnson set Baseball U down 1-2-3 in the second the Warrior bats struck again.  Wilton extended the lead to 5-2 as Jimmy McKiernan, Johnson, Ackerman and van Heyst all singled and Anthony Passaniti drove in one on a fielders’ choice.

Johnson again retired the side 1-2-3 in the third as he pounded the zone with strikes and the occasional knuckleball change-up.  In the bottom half of the frame the Warriors’ booming bats put the game out of reach as the team hit for the cycle.  Ryan Sorbo led off with a long homer over the wall in left.  Later in the inning Passaniti tripled, Ackerman doubled and McKiernan singled to make it 8-1.

Baseball U managed to plate runs in the fourth and fifth against Johnson, but that was all as Davis Wallon came in and shut the door for the final 1 1/3 innings.

After Brian Cipri singled in the fifth he was singled home by Max Rothkopf to close out the 9-3 victory, sending the Warriors on to the quarterfinals.