LIMA – Grand Lake came out and delivered the big blow.
The Mariners’ Cole Womack had a three-run double in the fifth and the Lima Locos weren’t able to recover.
Grand Lake scored five in the fifth and posted a 9-7 victory over the Locos in Game 1 of the Great Lakes Collegiate League best-of-three championship series Saturday at Simmons Field. Grand Lake leads the series 1-0.
Game 2 of the championship series is set for 7 p.m. today at Montgomery Field in Celina.
The Locos led 2-1 entering the fifth. Then, with Grand Lake nudging head 3-2 in the fifth, Womack cleared the bases with a double in the gap to make it 6-2.
The Locos battled back from 9-2 to get within 9-7 at the end.
“I thought we came out surprisingly flat, but I think they took it like another game of baseball,” Locos coach Brian Garman said. “We put ourselves in a top spot (down 9-2).’’
Grand Lake right-hander Josh Hurford (Malone) wasn’t overpowering, but used a full arsenal of off-speed pitches to keep the Locos off balance until he got weary in the eighth.
Hurford went 7 2/3 innings and gave up six runs, one earned, on five hits. He struck out four and walked three. Hurford threw 114 pitches, 72 for strikes.
The Locos scored two in the second to jump out to a 2-0 lead. Jeddediah Fagg reached on an error by the second baseman.
Will Kilgore followed with a two-run home run off the scoreboard in left-center field.
Grand Lake got within 2-1 in the fourth on sacrifice fly to right by Womack.
The Mariners exploded for five in the fifth off Locos starter Brad Croy to grab a 6-2 lead.
Grand Lake loaded the bases on a hit batter, a single by Joe Aeilts and an error by the Locos second baseman, who dropped a fielder’s choice grounder at second.
Nate Ostmo walked with the bags loaded to tie the game at 2. R.J. Williams then walked with the bases still loaded and it was 3-2 Grand Lake.
Then Womack drilled a three-run double to left-center field to drive in three and give Grand Lake a 6-2 lead.
That was it for Croy, who was working for the first time since July 25. Croy wasn’t his usual sharp self with his pitches.
Croy went 4 2/3 innings, giving up six runs, on earned, on six hits. He struck out eight and walked four. Croy threw 104 pitches, 58 for strikes.
“I held onto Croy for just a little too long,” Garman said. “He’s our guy and been one of our best all summer. I had to believe in him and I did. I thought for sure he was going to get out of it. He just didn’t have his best stuff. … I don’t think there is anything we can say this caused it. It was just one of those things, but Grand Lake has seen Croy a couple of times and he had a good approach. He didn’t have his best stuff and didn’t have his worse stuff.’’
Joe Gahm came on and got the final out in the fifth, but left right after that. He said he suffered a hamstring injury while he was warming up.
“That scares me a little big if I’m going to be honest,” Garman said. “For him to go out and only get one guy out and come out with something that might end his summer, is devastating for him and is unfortunate for the team.’’
Grand Lake added three in the seventh. Steven Fitzsimmons had a two-run single and it was 8-2 Mariners.
The Locos scored four in the eighth to get within 9-6. J.T. Thomas had a two-run single to cut the margin to 9-6.
In the home ninth, Tyler Tolbert tripled and scored on an RBI groundout by Ross Adolph to make it 9-7.
“I do think showing a little heart there late in the game, hopefully gives our guys a little confidence,” Garman said. “But the game was fairly lopsided if you break it down.’’
Locos notes: The Locos went 5-3 against Grand Lake during the regular season.
Grand Lake is 2-0 against the Locos in GLCL championships.
The Locos played Grand Lake in the 2006 championship game. It was a tournament format that year, with Lima and Grand Lake both hosting tournament games. Grand Lake defeated Lima 4-2 in the championship game at Shawnee High School.
Grand Lake defeated Lima two games to one in a best-of-three format in 1997.
The Locos have won four titles (1993, 2004, 2011 and 2015).
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