Safe to say, Cassadaga Valley’s Hunter Johnson is doing his job, and then some, this season.

The senior right-hander pitched into the seventh inning as the Cougars beat Maple Grove 4-2 in Chautauqua-Cattaraugus Athletic Association Division 2 baseball Monday.

“Hunter’s a good kid and a great pitcher,” said Cassadaga Valley head coach Al Roller, who only took over the job weeks before the season began after former head coach Nick Spitzer suffered a medical emergency. “He’s hitting the ball now, too.”

Johnson pitched into the seventh inning, scattering nine hits and two walks while striking out 10.

Cassadaga Valley’s Greg Edson scores before a late tag attempt by Maple Grove’s Sean Verbosky during Monday’s CCAA Division 2 game in Sinclairville. OBSERVER Photo by Matt Spielman

“We tend to use him when we can,” Roller said. “There’s just so many games in so many days.”

Johnson left after a Baylor Hirliman leadoff single in the seventh inning, but Mason Rhodes got the final three outs for the save.

“Our little secret weapon, Mason, comes in and closes games. It’s over the top and a lot of popups,” Roller said. “He came in against Frewsburg and we found out we had something.”

Cassadaga Valley (4-3, 4-2) scored all four of its runs in the first three innings off Red Dragons (4-5, 2-4) junior Camden Lombardo.

“Camden is a solid pitcher. He likes to make himself work harder and get deep into counts,” Maple Grove head coach Cory Falkowski said. ” … Once he starts battling more at the beginning, the kid will turn it around completely and get his pitch count lower to finish games.”

Cougars senior Greg Edson doubled with one out in the first inning and beat a play to the plate after freshman Jackson Crowell’s RBI single.

“I had Jackson in modified football. For the last two years we were undefeated,” Roller said of Crowell. “He’s a flat-out winner. He thinks that way and it’s kind of rubbed off on the rest of these guys.”

In the third inning, junior Bradley Windnagle reached on an infield single and stole second before taking third when the throw got into the outfield. Windnagle then scored on a wild pitch before Edson walked. Crowell then singled to center field and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Another walk loaded the bases ahead of senior Calvin Hilliker’s sacrifice fly to left field.

“It’s tough to rag on one inning … and something specific,” Falkowski said. “We have a lot of stuff that we can patch up before we start talking about one specific inning.”

Johnson then grounded out to short to force in Cassadaga Valley’s final run.

“We only have a handful of kids who can get to the bases,” Roller said. “We have to steal runs whenever we can. If we can sneak an extra base, we have to.”

Maple Grove got on the board in the top of the fourth inning. Senior Kolden McCall singled with one out and stole second before sophomore Zach Cornell’s two-out RBI single down the right-field line.

“There were definitely opportunities. We had nine hits, but they were sporadic throughout the game,” Falkowski said. “We have to start chaining those hits together and find some consistency. We have to feed off each other’s energy more.”

The Red Dragons made it 4-2 in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Kyle Yohe, junior Drew Oste and Lombardo hit consecutive singles to load the bases with no outs. After a strikeout and a flyout, junior Jake Reinhart hit into a fielder’s choice and reached first as the Cougars’ throw attempting to force Lombardo out at second was late.

Cassadaga Valley attempted to add on in the bottom of the fifth inning. Edson reached on an error and went to second on an error before a walk to Crowell put runners at first and second with no outs. Junior Logan Hayward then hit a laser back to the mound that was speared by Lombardo, who threw to first base to double up Crowell.

Maple Grove threatened again in the top of the sixth inning. Senior Sean Verbosky walked to open the frame and stole second before moving to third on Yohe’s one-out single. Oste then hit a ball back to Johnson and his throw home to Hilliker was just in time to tag out Verbosky.

Hirliman’s single in the seventh brought the tying run to the plate, but McCall greeted Rhodes with a long flyout to center field before the senior right-hander induced a groundout and a popout to end the game.

“He’s been struggling at the plate a little bit. That was something that’s definitely going to get his confidence back up,” Falkowski said of Hirliman. “Kolden had a hard-hit ball, it was just right at the kid.”

NOTES: Lombardo threw five innings of six-hit ball, striking out two and walking seven. … Crowell had a pair of hits for Cassadaga Valley, while Oste had three hits and Yohe had two for Maple Grove. … The Cougars travel to Pine Valley on Wednesday and the Red Dragons host Chautauqua Lake that same day.