Sebastian Alexander of the Lima Locos steals second base against Cameron Bryant of the Grand Lake Mariners during Wednesday’s game at Simmons Field.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA – On Friday, the No. 2 seed Lima Locos will face the No. 1 seed Hamilton Joes in the first game of a three-game series in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League postseason playoffs at Simmons Field. The first pitch is set for 7:05 on Friday.
However, the Locos had business to take care of first.
In Wednesday’s final regular-season game, Lima’s bats came alive and pounded 14 hits, en route to an 18-7 run-rule victory in seven innings over visiting Grand Lake.
With the win, Lima improved to 21-15. Grand Lake ended its season 11-25.
Locos coach Chad Ehrnsberger feels like his team has the right mindset as it heads into this weekend’s playoffs.
“I feel good. Like I just said in the huddle there (with his team), ‘A lot of times the teams that win the championships are the ones who want to be there the most’. It’s been a long spring and summer. The teams that are mentally strong and want to be there, are usually the ones that end up on top. I think these guys are in a good frame of mind right now,” he said.
On Wednesday night, the Locos jumped all over Grand Lake starting pitcher Mason Reyes. The lanky right-hander worked just an inning-plus before he was replaced. Reyes was tabbed for 10 runs on six hits, while walking five and hitting two batters.
Lima led 12-0 by the end of the second inning. Its largest lead was 16-2 after four innings.
Sebastian Alexander (Coastal Carolina) led the Locos’ hitting attack on Wednesday, going 4 for 4 with a home run, a double and four RBI.
“It seems like every game, he’s getting three or four hits,” Ehrnsberger said of Alexander. “Hopefully, that continues. He just goes about his business the right way. He’s a veteran when it comes to college baseball. I look for him to continue that.”
Landon Tate (Kennesaw State, 4 for 5 with 3 RBI) and Bo Shinkle (Portal, 2 for 4) had multiple-hit games for the Locos on Wednesday. Brice Estep (Coastal Carolina) belted a two-run home run for Lima.
Hunter Allen (Ashland University) started on the mound for the Locos on Wednesday. Allen worked three innings before Jacob Emerson (Lourdes University) came in and replaced him.
Allen was tabbed for two runs on two hits. Allen struck out two, walked two and hit a batter. He threw 56 pitches.
Emerson, who got the win for the Locos, pitched three innings. He gave up five runs on six hits. Calvin Urish took over pitching duties in the seventh with one out and finished the game for Lima.
Ehrnsberger will turn to his ace pitcher, Matteo Pare (Pensacola State College) for Friday’s first playoff game.
“Friday’s (starting pitcher) is going to be Matteo (Pare),” Ehrnsberger said. “Some of our starters are on innings limits. We got to a point where we didn’t want them to throw anymore until the playoffs. They were able to get in a routine with their bullpens and stay ready for when we need them in the playoffs.
“Matteo has been a stud for us all summer. Hopefully, with this time off, he will be ready to go for the playoffs and there’s no rust. He’s been throwing in the bullpen, so I feel pretty good about him (being) out there.”
Ehrnsberger said that he will not look beyond the first game with Hamilton when it comes to naming his pitcher for Game 2.
“I would say that it’s going to depend on Game 1. Right or wrong, I don’t know, but that is what my gut is telling me. … We’ll see. We’ve got several guys that we have confidence in. A lot of it is just going to be what happens in Game 1. The goal of this is to win a championship. It’s not just to win the first series. So, we’ll see what happens with our game (on Friday) and the other series that is going on. Maybe I am overthinking it, but that’s the type of baseball guy I am,” he said.
Ehrnsberger was ejected in the first inning of Wednesday’s game after he disputed a controversial call made by the umpires.
The three-game series with Hamilton will start on Friday at Simmons Field. The next two games will be at Hamilton on Saturday and Sunday.
Lima Locos 18, Grand Lake Mariners 7
Box score (r-h-e)
Grand Lake 0 0 2 0 0 2 3 – 7-9-1
Lima Locos 6 6 2 2 0 2 X – 18-14-1
WP – (Lima): Jacob Emerson
LP – (Grand Lake): Mason Reyes
2B – (Lima): Sebastian Alexander 1, Dane Ebel 1, Andrew Stechschulte 1
HR – (Lima): Sebastian Alexander 1, Brice Estep 1; (Grand Lake): Cameron Bryant 1
Records: Lima 21-15; Grand Lake 11-25
Grand Lake 7 (ab-r-h-rbi)
Drew Emerson 3-1-1-0, Cameron Bryant 3-2-2-2, Ty Davis 4-1-1-1, Jackson Rains 4-1-1-0, Stefan Di Corrado 2-0-0-0, Edwin Bowman 4-1-0-0, Aiden Booth 4-0-2-2, Johnny Nixon 4-0-2-0, Austyn Peak 3-0-0-0
Lima Locos 18 (ab-r-h-rbi)
Justin Gorski 3-0-0-0, Liam Richards 3-1-0-0, Sebastian Alexander 4-4-4-4, Kaden Brown 1-2-0-0, Dane Ebel 2-1-2-2, Landon Tate 5-3-4-3, Brice Estep 3-3-1-2, Andrew Stechschulte 2-1-1-2, Caden Lockwood 4-1-1-3, Bo Shinkle 4-1-2-2.
