In the opening game of the season, Sidwell played well, even if not flawlessly. A humbling scrimmage against St. John's on Tuesday motivated the team to have a focused and productive practice on Wednesday so that the mistakes of Tuesday wouldn't be repeated today -- and, largely, they weren't. Though all aspects of the game were solid (picking up signs on the base paths notwithstanding), the pitching performances stood out as exceptional at this early stage in the season; both starter Christian Schipma and reliever Ethan Yu did a great job holding the Crusaders at bay, which was an impressive achievement given their lineup, which featured a number of outstanding hitters, particularly in the top half of the order.