HAMILTON — Badin High School baseball coach Brion Treadway enjoyed the weather on Sunday. He also enjoyed the fact that his Rams got off in the right direction.
Four pitchers helped pave the way, Kade Bowling’s two RBI triple powered a four-run second inning and the Rams held off a late Oak Hills surge to capture a 4-3 season-opening victory at Alumni Field.
“It’s just a beautiful day out,” Treadway said. “There was a lot of energy that we had to start the season, and we did it in front of a big crowd. All of that was good. I think we captured the momentum early — getting guys on and moving the baseball.”
The game was supposed to played on Saturday, but rain pushed it a day later.
“It was great to finally get out here today,” Badin shortstop Lucas Moore said before grinning. “Badin baseball is back.”
Moore walked with the bases loaded to bring freshman Chandler Taylor across the plate, which handed the Rams a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Senior Caleb Jackson scored on a passed ball to make it 2-0, leaving runners on second and third.
That’s when Bowling roped a triple to right field, scoring sophomore Chase Luebbe and Moore.
“We stayed locked in,” Bowling said. “We didn’t let any small things get by us. We always stayed in the game. That helped us pull one out that shouldn’t have been as close as it was.”
Austin Adamson went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored two runs for Oak Hills, which added a run in the fourth and one in the sixth.
Badin reliever Aiden Van De Hatert recorded the final three outs of the game to earn the save, as the Highlanders only got one run across the plate during a bases-loaded threat.
Senior Nik Copenhaver got the win on the mound for Badin (1-0), striking out four batters in 3 innings of work. Rams hurlers Tyler Verdin and Grant Wissman also came in on relief.
Badin returns to action on Tuesday against Talawanda at Alumni Field.
Oak Hills 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 — 3 6 0
Badin 0 4 0 0 0 0 x — 4 4 2
