Blaising Through Academy: Strong Relief Pitching, Resilient Hitting Gets Bishop Watterson 12-4 Win

Columbus — Making his spring debut, junior Blaise Strausbaugh faced a pivotal moment against Columbus Academy. The Vikings had jumped out to a 4-2 lead after two innings, putting Bishop Watterson on its heels. Tasked with stabilizing the game and giving the Eagles a chance offensively, Strausbaugh delivered exactly what his team needed.

In relief, Strausbaugh was nearly untouchable, allowing just one baserunner over the final five innings while holding Columbus Academy hitless and racking up eight strikeouts. His command on the mound was complemented by a sharp Eagles defense, which made both routine and difficult plays to keep the Vikings off the bases.

This combination of pitching and defense is exactly what Bishop Watterson Head Coach Jeff Boulware expects to see from his team.

“Blaise was working quick and throwing strikes, which is the key to success,” Boulware said. “Our motto is to let them hit the ball. When you work fast, it keeps the defense awake, and they did a nice job.”

The Eagles’ offense started slowly but found its rhythm in the bottom of the fourth inning. Bishop Watterson opened the frame with four consecutive singles, seizing their first lead of the game at 6-4. The hits kept coming, highlighted by a triple from Ben Burleson, propelling the Eagles to a 10-4 advantage by the end of the inning.

In the bottom of the fifth, Luke Fivecoat delivered a two-out, two-RBI single to extend Bishop Watterson’s lead to 12-4, an advantage that would hold until the final out. The win improves the Eagles to 2-0 on the young season.

Chance Strausbaugh led the Eagles’ offensive surge, going 4-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Ben Burleson added two triples, two RBI, and two runs, while Luke Fivecoat contributed two RBI of his own. Blaise Strausbaugh navigated the final five innings on just 61 pitches, securing his first win of the season.

Coach Boulware is pleased with how the Eagles responded against Columbus Academy, “We gave them a lot of free bases in the first and second innings, but our guys hung in there and kept having quality at-bats,” he said. “We’ve got good leadership, and we made some great adjustments after the third inning.”

Bishop Watterson (2-0) is scheduled to host to host Highland on Friday.