Thanks to a strong outing on the mound from junior Garrett Brink and a big third inning, the Bears are now in control.

Brink threw 5 1/3 innings of seven-hit ball while striking out six and walking four, and Frewsburg scored four runs on four hits in the bottom of the third inning en route to a 7-2 victory over the Wolfpack at the Frewsburg Sports Complex.

“There are a lot of underclassmen on this team. He puts in the work. He’s a big baseball guy from a big baseball family. It’s in his blood,” Frewsburg head coach Eric Haglund said of Brink. “I knew in a game like this he would be able to command and make things happen.”

The Bears improved to 7-2 overall and 4-0 in Division 2 with 10 league games remaining. They have won five straight since returning from a 2-2 trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Bears’ Garrett Brink celebrates following an RBI double. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

Frewsburg took control of a 1-1 game with a four-run bottom of the third inning. No. 9 hitter Draven DeJesus and Brink opened the inning with back-to-back doubles before Chase Haglund reached on a dropped third strike. Mason Eckman followed with a two-run single and Maddox Sheesley hit a one-out RBI single to make it 5-1.

“He’s grown so much in the game. He’s put a ton of time and work in. He’s very commanding behind the plate, framing the pitches correctly,” Coach Haglund said of Eckman. “He comes in, puts bat on the ball and make things happen.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama (5-2, 4-1) got a run back in the top of the fifth inning when Austin White led off with a walk before Bryce Hinsdale and Gabe Roth hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Tate Catanese then hit a one-out RBI single, but Brink got out of a bases-loaded jam with back-to-back strikeouts.

“Frewsburg is a really good team,” Clymer/Sherman/Panama head coach Jake Marino said. “We told them that before the game and we just didn’t show up to play today.”

The Bears made it 7-2 in the bottom half of the frame. Payton Dustin and Sheesley hit back-to-back singles to open the inning. Dustin scored on a passed ball before freshman Trent Lewis hit a two-out RBI double.

Clymer/Sherman/Panama shortstop Austin White throws across the diamond during Wednesday’s CCAA Division 2 baseball game against Frewsburg at the Frewsburg Sports Complex. P-J photo by Matt Spielman

“He’s a jumper. It’s extremely hard to not keep him up there,” Coach Haglund said of Lewis, who has split time between jayvee and varsity this spring. “He’s doing a fantastic job. When it counts, he’s putting the ball in play, hitting doubles and triples. He’s a fantastic ninth-grader.”

The Wolfpack threatened to close the gap in the top of the sixth inning when Kayden Beckerink singled and White walked with one out to spell the end of the day for Brink. Frewsburg turned to Chase Haglund, who allowed a single to Hinsdale, but he struck out Roth and induced a groundball to get out of the inning unscathed.

“That was huge. That was a good statement right there,” Coach Haglund said. “We were going after him no matter who was on the mound. Gave him the best we could.”

In the seventh, Chase Haglund pitched around a one-out walk to strike out the side. Clymer/Sherman/Panama stranded 12 runners on base for the game.

“We didn’t take good swings at good pitches and took bad swings at bad pitches,” Marino said. “The approach has to be better and the mindset has to be better all the way around.”

Catanese threw five innings, allowing eight hits while striking out five for the Wolfpack, who used Roth for a five-inning one-hitter Tuesday against Chautauqua Lake.

“No regret. Tate has been pitching really well,” Marino said. “We went with him today because he’s a good pitcher. He showed it on the mound, we just didn’t play defense behind him.”

Clymer/Sherman/Panama will visit Dunkirk for a nonleague game today while the Bears will travel to league foe Cassadaga Valley.

“It’s a huge confidence booster,” Haglund said of the win. “The kids were really looking forward to this game to see what they could do … and see how well they could play.”