Two upsets recorded during first round of pool play in
GLSCL playoffs
Courtesy: GreatLakesLeague.org
Release: 08/6/2009
Lima scores three runs in the bottom of the ninth to knock off Xenia
XENIA,
Ohio �?? After
Tuesday�??s opening day rainout forced the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League
to alter its playoff structure into a pod format, the No.1 Lima Locos became
the only team to hold true to its top seed in defeating No. 6 Xenia Wednesday
night. No. 5 Southern Ohio and No. 4 Cincinnati, meanwhile, pulled off first
round upsets to take the ever-important opening game of the tournament.
GAME 1 || No. 5 Southern Ohio 5, No. 4 Licking County 2
[Box Score]
Southern Ohio�??s bats came out swinging early and often in
the tournament�??s opening game, as it acquired a 2-0 lead in the top of the
first inning that it never relinquished. The Copperheads accumulated 11 hits in
the affair �?? eight off of Second Team All-GLSCL pitcher Phil Klein �?? as four
players record a pair of hits. The biggest blow, however, came from Jeff May in
that first inning, when he lined a 2-out, 2-run double to left center to hand
the Copperheads a two-run lead. May finished the contest 2-for-4 at the plate,
as did Jerod Yakubik, Justin Marrero and Taylor Davis.
First Team All-GLSCL pitcher David Starn took the win on the
hill for Southern Ohio, as he tossed 6.1 innings of scoreless ball. During that
span, he allowed just three hits and struck out three batters. Brannon Belaid
entered the ninth to close out his first save of the tournament by striking out
two of the game�??s final three batters. Klein suffered the loss on the mound
after allowing five runs and eight hits in six innings pitched.
GAME 2 || No. 4 Cincinnati 3, No. 2 Grand Lake 2 [Box Score]
Despite trailing 2-0 through the majority of its contest
with Grand Lake, Cincinnati proved just why it was one of the league�??s most
consistent teams in the regular season as it rallied for three runs in the
seventh to take game two of the tournament 3-2. The three-run seventh proved to
be the difference in the contest, as Bobby Freking�??s game-tying, 2-run single
jump-started the Steam rally. His big hit paced the Cincinnati offense, which
racked up 10 hits to Grand Lake�??s three. Travis Shaw recorded the majority of
those hits, as he went 3-for-3 at the plate.
Ian Kadish took the win on the mound after allowing just
three hits and one earned run in seven innings pitched. He held the Mariners to
three hits while striking out six more. Michael Schum earned the save after a
scoreless ninth inning.
GAME
3 || No. 6 Xenia 3, No. 1 Lima 4 [Box Score]
It was the third
and final game of the day that provided the day�??s biggest heroic efforts though. From Harlan Watkins bases-clearing triple in
the third inning, to Andrew Meyers complete game performance on the hill, no
game had quite as many up and downs as Lima�??s come-from-behind win over Xenia.
Down 3-1 following
Watkins�?? 3-run triple in the third inning, the Locos strung together four
unanswered runs to avoid the tournament�??s third consecutive-upset. They capped
off the comeback in the bottom of the ninth, as they rallied for three runs on
four hits in the inning.
Andrew Meyer was the beneficiary of
the Locos�?? late surge, as he was credited with the win after throwing nine
innings of four-hit ball. The righthander was making his first start since
being named the GLSCL�??s Pitcher of the Year on Monday. |
