HAMILTON — The Lima Locos battled and made the most of only three hits but saw their season end with a 6-5 loss to the Hamilton Joes on Saturday night in a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League playoff semifinal.
Saturday night’s win added to a Friday night win over the Locos in the best-of-three series sent the Joes to the championship round of the GLSCL playoffs against either the Muskegon Clippers or the Michigan Monarchs.
That semifinal series is tied 1-1 after a 4-0 Muskegon win on Saturday. The decisive third game is schedued for Sunday afternoon.
Hamilton, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, improved its record to 28-9. The Locos, the No. 2 seed, finished the season 21-17.
The Locos scored three runs in the top of the first inning when Justin Gorski reached base on an error, Liam Richards and Blake Bowen walked and Sebastian Alexander cleared the bases with a 3-run double.
Hamilton got a run in the bottom of the first when Brayden Fraasman singled and Cam Gilkerson doubled.
The Joes tied the game at 3-3 with two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. But the Locos went back in front in the top of the fifth inning at 4-3 when Bo Shinkle walked, Gorski reached base on an error and Shinkle scored on a double play.
Hamilton’s three runs in the bottom of the seventh made it a 6-4 game. Paul Osting’s two-run triple put the Joes in the lead again and Braxton Baird drove in Osting with a sacrifice fly.
The Locos reduced the lead to one run, 6-5, in the eighth inning when Gorski was hit by a pitch, moved up on a ground out and Blake Bowen’s single, and scored on a fielder’s choice by Alexander.
In the ninth inning, Andrew Stechschulte and Shinkle drew walks. A wild pitch moved them up to second base and third base with two out, but Hamilton relief pitcher Parker Dillhoff struck out Gorski to end the game.
Thomas Howard started for the Locos, pitched four innings, allowed six hits and three runs, walked five and struck out two. Chase Jarnigan also pitched four innings, allowed four hits and three runs, walked one and struck out three.
Hamilton starter Nathan Ciemmy went four innings, gave up two hits and four runs, walked four and struck out four. Eric Rawlings pitched four innings, gave up one hit and one run, didn’t not walk a batter and struck out three. Dillhoff did not allow a run or a hit, walked two and struck out one.
