Nine-run inning keeps Indians in SCOL hunt
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
EBER - The Hillsboro Indians kept their South Central Ohio League hopes for back-to-back championships alive for another night. HHS trailed by three runs with six outs left, until they busted out for nine runs in the top of the sixth for a 10-4 SCOL win against the Miami Trace Panthers.
The Indians (11-6, 7-3) gave up four runs in the first inning but battled back after trailing 4-1 for a majority of the game.
In the top of the sixth HHS had 11 base runners, batting through the entire lineup, plus five more batters.
Logan Wilson began the top of the sixth with a single. His hit was followed with a double by Aric Carroll. The bases were loaded when Airic Steagall was hit by a pitch.
With no outs, Paul Snyder was hit by a pitch to score Wilson, making the score 4-2.
Logan Watson hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Carroll. The Tribe then perfected a one-out double steal, and it paid off when Dow Kiefer smacked a base hit to shallow right field. Patrick Garman forced a bases loaded walk, tying the game at four.
Corey Walker hit a single that just landed in the outfield, touching the infield dirt to score Kiefer and Snyder, giving the Tribe a 6-4 lead.
HHS wasn't done adding to their lead in the inning.
Logan Wilson, in his second at-bat of the inning, forced a walk, loading the bases. As the Panthers switched pitchers, the Indians continued to have the same results when Carroll drew a base on balls, scoring Garman.
Still with the bases jammed, Steagall blasted the baseball to the center field fence for a three-run double, scoring Walker, Logan Wilson and Carroll. Snyder gained a single that dropped in the infield for the last HHS hit of the inning.
"This was a huge comeback win for us," HHS head coach Rusty Swackhamer said. "Their pitcher did a great job keeping us off-balanced for five innings, but we had some big at-bats in the sixth. Airic (Steagall) cleared the bases and credit the guys, they hung on and battled back."
In the first inning, MT had runs scored by Tucker Hughes, Snyder, Glispie and McIntosh.
Hillsboro's lone run in the top of the first was scored by Carroll. He reached the bases on a two-out double and scored on a single by Steagall.
On the mound, Garrett Bell led the Indians to victory. After a shaky first inning, Bell pitched six straight scoreless innings. For the game, Bell, who is 7-0 overall, allowed four runs (none earned) on seven hits and two walks. In the first inning alone MT had five hits, one walk and all four runs. Bell finished with four strikeouts.
"Garrett (Bell) battled the whole game and pitched well," Swackhamer said.
On Tuesday, the Indians will finished their suspended SCOL game with the McClain Tigers at 4:30 p.m. at Shaffer Park. Following their game with the Tigers, HHS will face the Fayetteville Rockets in non-league play.
As for the make-up part of the suspended game, it will start in the top of the 10th with the score tied at 9-9.
The win lifts HHS to 11-6 overall, 7-3 in the SCOL. MT drops to 12-9 overall, 7-5 in the SCOL.
BOX SCORE
HHS 100 009 0 - 10
MT 400 000 0 - 4
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