Andrew Brierton powers Coe in offensive outburst against Cornell

MOUNT VERNON — Classes are complete and Andrew Brierton has used those additional hours to hone his craft.

The work has apparently paid dividends for the Coe designated hitter.

Brierton produced his best performance, helping Coe handle rival Cornell, 18-9, in Bremner Cup competition Wednesday night at Ash Park.

The Kohawk junior batted 4-for-4 with four RBIs and five runs. Extra time devoted to hitting was key.

'Finals are over,' said Brierton, who entered the game with a .302 batting average. 'Got time to spend in the (batting) cages, actually. Focus on just baseball at this point.'

Brierton played a couple different roles. He sparked Coe, leading off the second with a double and scoring on Grant Henning's sacrifice fly for the Kohawks' first run. He tied the game with a two-run single in Coe's four-run fifth and scored the go-ahead run when Henning followed with a two-run double two batters later, giving Coe a 7-5 edge.

'Any way I can contribute,' Brierton said. 'See ball, hit ball and that's about all I can do.'

Brierton also reached on a base hit and scored when the Kohawks sent nine batters to the plate for seven runs in the sixth.

Coe Coach Steve Cook said they have addressed Brierton's mentality with two strikes and he came through each time, especially with two outs.

'For him, we've been working hard on not trying to do too much,' Cook said. 'He has power in his game, showing that in his first at-bat, but not buy in to that is all he has to be. He can be a pure hitter and have a two-strike approach when we get into those situations. Just find a way to keep the ball moving around the diamond.'

The offensive burst came at a good time, providing some confidence as Coe closes in on the Iowa Conference tournament.

'I've been struggling a lot, so that was really good,' Brierton said. 'I needed a boost.'

Coe (16-17) rapped 20 hits, including four from leadoff batter Craig Konrardy. Henning finished with five RBIs, while Ben Jacobson added three hits and four RBIs.

'For us, we talk about being positively contagious and having one guy's at-bat lead to the next,' Cook said. 'We did a better job of that where I felt like our guys were gaining momentum with their own results and their teammate's results.

'That is a hidden gem in the game of baseball. We have to continue to do a better job of it as we get into the tournament.'

Walker Breard led Cornell with three hits, two RBIs and two runs. Chuck Rocker had two hits and an RBI for the Rams (20-12).

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