FORT JENNINGS—At least one good thing has come out of the lousy spring weather.
Fort Jennings coach Matt Dube has seen his team get the hang of bunting with all the extra practice time it has logged in the gym.
It paid off on Wednesday when Aaron Kloeppel put down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt for a base hit to ignite Fort Jennings to a 5-3 non-league baseball victory over Delphos Jefferson at Fort Jennings Park.
Fort Jennings is 6-8. Delphos Jefferson is 6-6, but remains unbeaten (4-0) in the Northwest Conference.
Fort Jennings scored three in the second inning to take a 3-0 lead and never trailed the rest of the way. The Musketeers added two in the third to make it 5-0.
Jefferson got one in back in the fourth and added two in sixth to close to within 5-3.
Nolan Grote started the Fort Jennings’ second inning with a single and stole second. Brad Eickholt walked.
Zach Schulte put down the first key bunt of the inning with a sacrifice bunt to move the runners to second and third.
Kloeppel then put down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt down the third base line. Grote, who was charging down the line on the pitch, easily scored from third.
Kloppel beat it out for a base it. And when the Jefferson third baseman made a wild throw to first, Eickholt came home from second to make it 2-0.
“We’ve practiced that squeeze a lot,” Kloeppel said. “I wasn’t surprised when he gave me the sign. I got a pretty good one down and hustled down the line.
“I think this can help us. Jefferson is a good team.’’
Added Fort Jennings coach Matt Dube, “That was a suicide squeeze. We practice that every chance we get. We’re inside all the time so we practiced a lot of small ball. We do that a lot. We’ve been struggling to get runs across the plate.’’
Kloeppel came home from third when Aaron Sealts, who walked, got in a rundown between first and second. That made it 3-0 Musketeers.
Grote’s RBI single in the third made it 4-0.
And when the Jefferson pitcher threw wild in a pickoff attempt at first base to get Grote, in came Kyle Norbeck from third to make it 5-0.
“They had some solid hits, but they got some guys on and found a way to execute and scored some runs early,” Delphos Jefferson coach Doug Geary said. “That changes the complexion real quick.’’
Derek Luersman (3-1) picked up the win, going 5 1/3 innings and giving up three runs, all earned, on four hits. He struck out three and walked one.
Luersman threw 65 pitches, 43 for strikes.
“He worked hard,” Dube said of Luersman. “That’s a pretty good hitting team. They put the bat on the ball and he worked to make sure they were getting his pitch. He was about done (in the sixth). Sealts (who came on in relief) is a good closer for us.’’
Sealts notched the save by coming on with two on in the sixth and throwing 1 2/3 innings of shutout, one-hit ball.
Logan Hubert got the start for Jefferson on the non-league day. He came into the day with just one inning on the mound this year.
Hubert went four innings and gave up five runs, three earned, on seven hits. He struck out one and walked one.
“He came in and did his job,” Geary said. “He did what he had to do. That’s what non-conference games are for.’’
Grote went 2 for 3 for Fort Jennings.
For Jefferson, Conner Anspach went 2 for 4 with a double. Tyler Shrider went 2 for 3 with a double and an RBI.
Brenen Auer had a sacrifice fly in the sixth to get the Wildcats within 5-3.
Dube hopes the victory can help provide a little momentum down the stretch.
“We just have to relax and play our game,” Dube. “I think wins like this will help.’’
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