Hiatt has new perspective for catcher’s position

LOUISBURG — Blake Hiatt has played just about everywhere on the baseball field.

He does not have a full-time position with the Ottawa American Legion AA squad. Ottawa coach Shawn Herrmann saw Hiatt catching for former Ottawa Legion pitcher Andrew Miller.

That got his brain in motion. Could Hiatt play catcher in a game?

Well everyone found out he could Thursday night in the first game of a doubleheader in Louisburg against the Bombers.

“Hiatt is a gamer,” Herrmann said. “He is knowledgeable about every position. He understands what he has to do.”

It was an eye-opening experience for Hiatt, who redshirted this past baseball season for for William Jewell College.

“It was a good experience,” he said following Ottawa’s 12-0 win in four innings. “It was fun. “It was the most [demanding] position I have played.”

Ottawa completed the sweep with a 14-1 win in the nightcap.

Herrmann wanted to rest his main catchers, who were worn down by the heat.

That left the door open to give Hiatt a try.

“It was not as hot as I thought it would be,” Hiatt said.

He said blocking pitches in the dirt was one of the hardest things he attempted. Another aspect of catching is waiting for the ball to meet the glove and not extend the glove for catcher’s interference.

“Giving signs ... staying on the same page as the pitcher,” Hiatt said was another interesting part of the position.

Ryan Maxwell caught the second game. He was available because the Ottawa A squad’s games with Garnett were canceled.

The young player went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI and threw out a base stealer in his first Legion AA game.

“He played very well,” Herrmann said. “He was not nervous. He did a fine job behind the plate.”

Blake Firestone pitched the final four innings in relief of Dylan Nelson and picked up the victory in the second game.

Firestone (2-0) did not give up a hit and finished with 10 strikeouts.

“It was the best I have seen him throw,” Herrmann said. “He was looking stronger and stronger. He is always around the plate.”

Nelson gave up one hit and had six strikeouts in his best outing on the mound this season.

Connor Goedert tossed three innings in the opener, giving up two hits. Spencer Hawkins pitched around a double in the fourth with two strikeouts.

Ottawa scored seven runs with the help of four Bomber errors in the second inning of the first game. Corbin Goedert, who had eight RBIs in the doubleheader, ripped a two-run triple in the inning.

Ottawa scored four runs in the fourth inning. Connor Goedert opened the inning with his third home run.

The Ottawa bats were kept quiet until the fourth inning of the nightcap. Louisburg took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. But Ottawa scored two in the fourth and fifth innings then four in the sixth and six in the seventh.

“I knew it was not going to be our best outing,” Herrmann said. “We have to adjust to the heat. We are seeing different situations that will help us.

“We hit the ball hard at times.”

Corbin Goedert ripped a two-run double in the fifth and smashed a three-run triple in the seventh inning. Hiatt had a two-run single in the sixth. Ryan Maxwell followed with an RBI single.

Maxwell hit a double in the seventh inning.

Herrmann said Ottawa is on the verge of being a complete baseball team.

“We are sitting right there,” he said.

Ottawa (18-0) plays three home doubleheaders next week. The first is 6 p.m. Tuesday against Silver Lake.

Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com. Comment on this story at ottawaherald.com.