Preston Leon of the Muskegon Clippers slides under the tag attempt of Lou Fujiwara of the Lima Locos during Tuesday’s game at Simmons Field.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA – The Lima Locos’ offense has been clicking as of late.
However, the Locos’ offense sputtered for most of Tuesday’s game against visiting Muskegon.
The Locos recorded six base hits but managed to score just one run in a 7-1 loss to Muskegon in the first game of a three-game series against the Clippers at Simmons Field.
Muskegon improved to 13-6, while the Locos slipped to 12-10.
Muskegon starting pitcher Zach Vriesenga (Western Michigan) did not give up a base hit to the Locos until the fifth inning. Kaden Brown (Kennesaw State), the starting first baseman, drove a single to right-centerfield for Lima’s first hit of the game. Brown went 2 for 4 at the plate.
Vriesenga worked seven innings before being lifted. The tall right-hander did not allow a run. He struck out eight and hit one batter while throwing 96 pitches.
“I think it’s just energy,” Locos head coach Chad Ehrnsberger said in reference to his team’s lack of run production on Tuesday. “I said to the guys tonight, ‘We just didn’t have any energy’. … I can’t explain why. (We’re) playing a team that is ahead of you in the standings. … It’s a good crowd. I can’t explain why we weren’t ready to play. We just weren’t. So, hopefully, we can challenge these guys a little bit, and they come out ready to go tomorrow.”
Muskegon jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second inning. The Clippers scored all three runs with no base hits.
Locos starting pitcher Drew Kirby (Louisiana Lafayette) hit a batter and walked another in the second. A throwing error also helped lead to the Clippers’ three runs.
“The second inning – when we gave up three runs on no hits – that kind of took the wind out of our sails,” Ehrnsberger said. “There was definitely a different mindset in the dugout after that, but it’s human nature. At the same time, we have to do a better job of reacting to that, because there was plenty of game left. We just seemed unable to get it done after that.”
Kirby pitched three innings before being lifted. He gave up five runs (two earned) on just one hit while striking out five, walking three and hitting two batters. Kirby threw 53 pitches.
The Clippers extended their lead to 5-0 in the third.
Griffin Howe (St. Johns River State College) took over the pitching duties for the Locos in the fourth. Howe worked two innings. He was tabbed for one run on five hits while striking out one batter.
Andrew Stechschulte (Ohio Northern) took over on the mound for the Locos in the sixth. Stechschulte did not allow a run in his three innings of work. He gave up one hit while striking out six and walking one.
Ehrnsberger has been impressed with Stechschulte this summer, despite Stechschulte having limited availability.
“He’s a player. If he didn’t have that internship and would be a full-time guy for us, I have no doubt that he would be playing really well,” Ehrnsberger said. “I’ve known Andrew forever. School is very important to him, as it should be. We’ll take him as often as we can get him. I have complete confidence in him whether it’s on the mound, behind the plate, or in the batter’s box.”
Calvin Urish (Barton County CC) tossed the ninth inning for the Locos.
Muskegon had eight hits off Lima’s pitching on Tuesday.
The Locos scored its lone run off a solo home run by the designated hitter, Caden Lockwood (Ball State), in the eighth.
Justin Gorski (Miami University), Lima’s second baseman, went 2 for 4 with a double.
The Locos return to Simmons Field tonight at 7:05 for the second game of the three-game series with Muskegon. On Thursday, the same two teams will meet again at Simmons Field with the first pitch set for 5:05 p.m.
Muskegon 7, Lima Locos 1
WP – Zach Vriesenga (M)
LP – Drew Kirby (L)
2B – Lima: Justin Gorski 1
HR – Lima: Caden Lockwood 1; Muskegon Ashten Wong 1
Box score (r-h-e)
Muskegon 0 3 2 1 0 0 0 0 1 – 7-8-0
Locos 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 – 1-6-1
Muskegon Clippers 7 (ab-r-h-rbi)
Carson McCoy 4-1-1-0, Preston Leon 4-0-0-0, Justin Osterhouse 4-0-1-1, Justin Johnson 5-0-1-0, Ashten Wong 5-1-1-1, Austin Cicerone 2-1-1-0, Ethan Baird 3-1-0-0, Cole Mason 4-2-2-2, Cooper Hums 3-0-1-2
Lima Locos 1 (ab-r-h-rbi)
Justin Gorski 4-0-2-0, Liam Richards 0-0-0-0, Bo Shinkle 3-0-0-0, Blake Bowen 4-0-2-0, Sebastian Alexander 4-0-0-0, Kaden Brown 4-0-2-0, Brooks Wright 4-0-1-0, Brice Estep 3-0-0-0, Caden Lockwood 3-1-1-1, Lou Fujiwara 2-0-0-0, Landon Tate 1-0-0-0
Records: Lima Locos 12-10; Muskegon Clippers 13-6
