by Nate Buccilla

NEWARK -- The threat of a rainout didn’t stop the Southern Ohio Copperheads pitching staff from tossing a stellar game in the season opener, taking down the Licking County Settlers 7-2.

A small crowd risked the weather, huddling closely under the awning of the top bleachers. At times, it seemed the pure speed of a Michael Darrell-Hicks fastball could blow the top of that awning off.

Darrell-Hicks started the Copperheads off with four scoreless innings, striking out eight batters, not allowing the 45-minute rain delay to slow him down.

A leadoff Blaine Crim double brought the Copperheads bats to life to start the second inning. A passed ball advanced Crim to third, and a Blake Holub sacrifice fly scored Crim for the first run of the game.

Joey Weisenseel scored on a passed ball in the third inning, and Weisenseel crossed the plate again in the fifth inning on a Ray Zuberer double, pushing the lead to 3-0.

Two batters later, Kyle Casserly stepped to the plate with two outs and Zuberer on second. Casserly hit a high fly ball to center field and Settlers center fielder Jacob Margroff appeared to lose the ball in the lights, allowing it land just behind him. The error would allow Zuberer to score putting the Copperheads up 4-0.

After allowing two runners on base to start the fifth, Darrell-Hicks was forced out of the game with what he said was “a blister on his middle finger that was hindering him.”

In came Austin Weaver in relief, inheriting a runner on first and second with no outs. A groundout double play and a strike out allowed the Copperheads to escape the inning unscathed.

The Copperheads offense would strike three more times in the seventh inning, after a bases loaded sacrifice fly by Crim and errant throw to home plate allowed Zuberer and Ty Suntken to score. Two batters later, Casserly scored on yet another pass ball, extending the lead to 7-0.

Willie Poe started the eighth inning on the mound for the Copperheads and immediately allowed a double to Dylan Ott, which was followed by a Miguel Pimentel homer to dead center, bringing the Settlers to a closer 7-2 score.

Copperheads Head Coach Phil Butler, now in his third season, was happy with the team’s efforts in limited time together.

“I thought they came out ready to play,” Butler said. “I thought we were pretty good up and down the lineup.”

Butler spoke highly of the pitching staff after the win. “Michael (Darrell-Hicks) was really good in his first start for us,” Butler said. “Austin (Weaver) came in a tough spot without being able to throw any warm-up pitches in the bullpen and got us out of there with a zero and then threw two more zeroes, and that’s really all you can ask for out of a guy in that spot”

The Copperheads will look to feed off of their season opening win Saturday at 7:05 pm and Sunday at 5:35 pm at Bob Wren Stadium, hosting the Cincinnati Steam both days.