File photo – Nick Dugan

Fresh off their history-making success on the basketball courts on Thursday night, St. Bernard’s Aidan Dorsch, Peyton Smith and Drew Vizenor joined up with the Crusaders baseball team in Middletown on Friday afternoon and got the new season off to a winning start.

Both teams showed some early-season rustiness, especially on defense, but it was the Crusaders who pulled away late for a 10-4 victory after the home team had battled back from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game in the fifth.

Stanford bound Nick Dugan got his senior campaign off to an impressive start on the mound and at the plate for St. Bernard’s, pitching four strong scoreless innings and striking out 10 of the 12 batters he faced.

Dugan also led the way at the plate and finished 4-for-4, while teammate Cayden Lee was 3-for-4 with a double.

Dorsch had an immediate impact and was 2-for-4, while Brody Tomlin, Braeden Zimmerman and Tyler Dimmick each also had a hit.

Dimmick got the win on the mound in relief, throwing two hitless innings and striking out two.

Next up, the Crusaders will play Clear Lake at their own tournament next Friday.

For more on this year’s team, see Crusaders expect to challenge for state title in baseball …