On Wednesday, June 1, the Wagner VFW Post 7319 14U and 16U teeners took to Hennies Field to open their season against Canova. The opening act belonged to the 14U team and they would get the season started right, claiming a 5-3 victory.

Javian Pesicka would take to the mound first for Wagner. He would pitch four innings, allowing one earned run on four hits and a walk while striking out 10 opponents.

Preston McFayden would take over in the last inning. He would give up two earned runs on a hit and two walks but he would also strike out the side.

At the plate, Wagner would collect five hits and five walks while scoring five runs. Frank Soukup led the way with two hits. Pesicka, Trey Segura, and Trasin Dilts would each collect a hit with Dilts’ being a double. Pesicka also walked twice and scored two runs. Segura would also score a run as did Kobe Drapeau and Paxton Kuhlman, who reached via a base on balls. Malakai Segura, who did a nice job behind the plate, would also draw a walk as would Brady Cournoyer.

The 16U team would take to the field next and would follow the 14U’s lead and win by the score of 8-5.

Carter Cournoyer started on the mound for Wagner and did all that was asked as he held Canova scoreless. He would allow one hit, one walk, and one hit batsman.

Joey Cournoyer would then take over. He would last an inning and a third as he would give up five earned runs on seven hits, a walk, and a hits batsman.

Matt Link would then come in to settle things down. He entered the game with runners on 2nd and 3rd and would calmly strike out the two batters he faced to get out of the inning. Matt’s final line would be two and two-thirds innings pitched giving up no runs on two hits and a walk while striking out three.

Wagner was led at the dish by Ted Slaba who went 3 for 4 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Joey Cournoyer also came through in some clutch situations as he collected two hits and three RBI. Link, Pesicka, Hunter Loeffler, Colby Krcil, and Daniel Soukup would each collect one hit on the night with Krcil’s being a double. Corbin Carda reached base twice by way of a walk and a hit by pitch and would score both times. Pesicka would also score two runs while Daniel Soukup and Link scored once.

Carlin Hopkins would not reach base in this game but there is more than one way to help your team win and Carlin did that by playing a great right filed. He made a tough catch look easy on a play close to the warning track in the third inning. He would then make a diving catch in the fourth inning that, if not made, would have led to more runs scored. And finally he made a nice catch down the line in the final inning and then threw a strike to first to double off the runner who reached on a lead-off walk.

These were two solid team wins to get the year off to a positive start.

On Friday, June 3, Wagner’s 14U team would lead off the night against Platte as Wagner’s two teener teams would take part in this intra-county matchup in Platte’s Tomato Patch. Brady Cournoyer would make his first start on the mound for Wagner. He did a solid job for his first time on the big bump. He would pitch a complete game giving up four runs, three of which were earned, on six hits and two walks while striking out none.

Wagner would only score one run on four hits in their 4-1 loss. Frank Soukup would collect three of those four hits while McFayden would get the other. Trey Segura would walk and score Wagner’s lone tally on the evening.

In the 16U game Matt Link would start the game pitching and would pick up right where he left off after pitching two and two-thirds scoreless from the previous game. He would pitch the complete game, going seven innings while giving up one run on two hits while striking out eight and walking two, leading Wagner to a 6-1 win.

Link would also contribute to his own cause by collecting three hits and scoring three runs. Ted Slaba would also be a big stick for Wagner as he went 2 for 4 with two doubles, three RBI, and he would score one run. Javian Pesicka would also collect two hits including a double and score one run. Carter Cournoyer, Corbin Carda, and Daniel Soukup would each get one hit while Preston McFayden would score a run.