Justin Gorski of the Lima Locos lays down a sacrifice bunt against the Southern Ohio Copperheads during Thursday’s game at Simmons Field.
The Lima Locos swept a doubleheader from the Southern Ohio Copperheads on Thursday at Simmons Field, but it was far from easy.
In the first game, the Locos fell five runs behind before coming back for a 7-6 win. They won the second game 1-0 with their only hit coming in the fifth inning.
Both games were seven-inning contests because one of the games was a make-up for a game which was rained out Wednesday.
“To get the sweep in a doubleheader and in the (three-game) series is nice. Obviously, we didn’t play like we’re capable of,” Locos coach Chad Ehrnsberger said.
Pitching probably was the key on a day when the Locos’ offense produced more than one hit in an inning only once.
Lima pitcher Thomas Howard gave up a three-run home run to Southern Ohio’s Pauly Mancino in the second inning of the first game and a two-run homer to Hunter Strong an inning later but shut the Copperheads out on one hit in his final three innings on the mound.
Skyler Lhamon gave up a run but recorded his third save of the season in the seventh inning.
In the second game, starter Matteo Pare threw four shutout innings before being replaced by Dane Ebel, who struck out eight of the 10 batters he faced.
“Fortunately Matteo and Dane threw well in Game 2. Thomas had his struggles but he fought back and gave us six strong innings. Then Skylar came in and closed it,” Ehrnsberger said. “Our pitchers did their jobs today and our hitters did just enough.”
Ebel, like Lhamon, faced some adversity in the seventh inning when Southern Ohio’s leadoff hitter doubled. But he struck out the next three batters to end the game.
“When he throws strikes like he did tonight with both pitches, not too many guys are going to hit him,” Ehrnsberger said.
In the first game, the Locos’ comeback began in the bottom of the third inning when they loaded the bases on singles by Justin Gorski and Lou Fujiwara and a walk to Blake Bowen, then got two runs on walks to Sebastian Alexander and Liam Richards.
They cut the Copperheads’ lead to one run, 5-4, when Landon Tate walked, Caden Lockwood doubled, Bo Shinkle hit a sacrifice fly to score Tate, and Lockwood scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning.
They loaded the bases on walks again in the sixth inning and scored one run on a walk by Fujiwara, another on a single by Bowen, and another on a rundown play.
In the second game, the only run came in the bottom of the fifth inning when Brice Estep walked, Shinkle walked and Fujiwara singled to score Estep.
The Locos raised their record to 18-12, which puts them in second place in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League standings. Southern Ohio is 12-18 and is in sixth place in the seven-team GLSCL.
