Nearly nine months later, the Madison Warhawks began their current baseball season as the last concluded – with a notable home victory with the opponent scoring just one run.
The team opened its 2022 campaign March 19 with a five-inning, 11-1 slaughter-rule victory over the Marshall Statesmen (1-1). On June 26 of 2021, Madison capped its season with a 2-1 win over Colgan in the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state-tournament championship game.
The triumphs gave Madison a nine-game winning streak over two seasons when the week began.
Madison’s 2022 team consists of only a couple of returning starters from the state-title team.
“We have a good group with a lot of talent. It’s time for the new group to step up,” Madison coach Mark Gjormand said. “I think this team can be very good.”
Madison had 10 hits against Marshall and was helped by multiple Statesmen errors, walks and hit batters. The Warhawks scored five runs on four hits in the first inning. They added five more in the second on just one hit, as Marshall made two errors, hit three batters and walked two in the frame.
An RBI single by Will Norman in the bottom of the fifth inning scored Eli Novaro to end the contest.
Jason Cassidy had two hits, including a double, drove in four runs and had a squeeze bunt for Madison. Braden Coward had two hits and three RBI. Jaden Kritsky, starting and winning pitcher Bannon Brazell, Patrick Colyar and Trevor Gjormand (RBI) had the other Madison hits. Kritsky and Alex Jreige had multiple stolen bases.
Brazell pitched four innings, allowing no runs and two hits and struck out six with two walks. Connor Barry pitched the final frame with three strikeouts and he allowed an unearned run and a hit.
“Marshall is a rival and we knew they would come in fired up, and they did,” Mark Gjormand said. “Bannon and Connor did what we wanted them to on the mound.”
Ben Jones had two of Marshall’s three hits and Jack Emory had the other. Aiden Han stole two bases, and Emory and Cole Little one each.
Marshall opened its season with a 6-5 win over Edison. Emory and Han each had two hits and two RBI, Henry Smith also had two hits, Owen Growney had a hit and one RBI, and Jones had a hit.
Nick Robinson worked four innings to get the win. Noah Grossmann fanned six in three innings.