Shawnee’s Blake Reaman attempts to pick off Parkway’s Eddie Nichols during Saturday’s game at Shawnee.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA — Shawnee was a little wild, and the Panthers pounced.
Parkway defeated Shawnee 3-1 in a nonleague baseball game Saturday afternoon, with the Panthers scoring all their runs due to wild pitches. Parkway scored twice in the first, and once in the third. The Indians got a run in between, in the second, but could not do any further damage.
Parkway improves to 5-2 on the season, while Shawnee is now 2-5.
Starter Roman Leszinske got the win for Parkway, pitching four innings. He allowed one run, with two hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Brayden Bruns had three innings in relief, allowing three hits. He struck out two and did not have a walk.
Panthers coach Neal Schaffner said, “Anytime the momentum goes on our side early, it’s good.” He noted that the team played well on defense and is “starting to learn how to win.”
Leszinske had two hits, with one each by Devon Crouch and Bruns.
For Shawnee, starter Carter Daily went 2 ⅓ innings. He gave up three runs, with five walks and five strikeouts. Derek Lyons got the final two outs of the third, then went the rest of the way for the Indians. He allowed three hits and no walks while getting six strikeouts.
Blake Reaman drove in the lone run for Shawnee and had a hit later in the game. Tate Bender, Lyons and Chase Sunderland each got one hit.
The trouble started right away for Shawnee. Parkway’s leadoff man, Crouch, drew a walk and then stole second base.
Bruns hit a shallow fly ball just past the first base bag that dropped for a hit, and also moved Crouch to third.
After a strikeout, Eddie Nichols came up. Bruns stole second base to put two in scoring position. A pitch that was beyond the reach of the catcher allowed Crouch to score and Bruns to take third.
A second one then went low and to the backstop for ball four to Nichols. Parkway sent Bruns down the line to make it 2-0. Daily then got two strikeouts, both looking, to prevent further damage.
Bender reached on a bunt single with one out for Shawnee. He advanced to third on a steal and a groundout, but was left aboard when Sunderland flew out.
After Daily got through the top half with just a walk, Shawnee came up for its second turn. Daily led off and coaxed a walk from his opposite number. A couple pitches later, he broke for second. Parkway briefly had him in a rundown, but the throw to second was off target, allowing him to get there. Reaman then singled to right field, and Daily sped around to score and make it 2-1.
Reaman also tried to steal, but was thrown out by Panthers catcher Bryce Stearns. Leszinske got a strikeout to end the inning.
Daily went back to the mound and retired Bruns on strikes to open the third. Caiden Berry walked. A pickoff attempt went past the first baseman, and Berry sped all the way over to the opposite corner at third. For the second time, ball four to Nichols was errant, and Berry scored to regain the two-run cushion for the Panthers.
Shawnee conferred at the mound, and Coach Bender put Lyons in for the Indians. He got a flyout to right and a groundout to third.
Leszinske led off the fourth with a single past first base. He moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jackson Kraner, but was left aboard. Shawnee went in order in the bottom half.
After Lyons got a flyout and two strikeouts in the top half, Bruns took over on the mound for the Panthers.
He got the first batter he faced on a flyout to left. Reaman then hit a grounder to third. The throw across pulled the first baseman off the bag. A sac bunt by Keegan Wilson moved him to second. However, he would go no further as Bruns got Noah Meth to ground out to shortstop.
A single by Leszinske and a misplayed grounder on a ball hit by Kraner gave Parkway a chance to add to its lead with two down in the sixth, but Lyons got out of it with a flyout to right.
Shawnee had the top of the order for the bottom half. Sage Ebling and Bender were both retired on grounders to second. Lyons singled through the left side, then Sunderland had a single into shallow right, very similar to the hit by Parkway’s Bruns in the first.
Landon Gallegos worked the count full, but was then called out on a very close pitch to end the inning.
After Parkway left one man on in its final at-bat, Colten Horn led off for the Indians. Bruns got him on a popup back to the mound. Reaman singled to left field. Wilson went down on strikes and Meth was thrown out on a grounder that Bruns fielded and threw over for the final out.
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