Taylor, Post 129 walk-off; Hillsboro sweeps Aces
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO — One win Friday by the Hillsboro Post 129 club could be described as an "easy" win, as they won 11-1 in five innings. The second win of the day didn't come so easy at the end, but all in all, Post 129 won their third straight game this week, defeating Washington C.H. Post 25, 7-6 in eight innings in Friday's nightcap.
This week alone, Hillsboro almost equaled their season total in wins, defeating the Chillicothe Capitals Tuesday by a 3-2 score, but Friday, in the second game of the twin bill, Post 129 took a four-run lead, saw it evaporate and came through with a two-out walk-off single by Dustin Taylor for the one-day sweep of the Aces.
Taylor went 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the game, helping the Post 129 squad improve to 8-14 overall.
The bottom of the eighth, again, didn't come easy for the home team, but did begin with Taylor Smucker reaching first on an infield single hit to the shortstop, followed by Ian Adams reaching first on an infield error. Adams scored four runs in the game, reaching the bases with a single, two fielder's choices and on two errors.
Hillsboro gambled with no outs and a runner on third, attempting a suicide squeeze, but the runner was thrown out before he reached the plate. The second out quickly followed with a ground out, keeping the ball in the infield for the first three batters.
Cody Shaver was intentionally walked (he hit a 3-run home run in the fourth inning), then Matt Carey was walked on a 3-2 count.
With the bases loaded, Taylor walked to the plate and went to a pitcher's count early, swinging and missing twice. But then he got the job done, down to his final strike with two outs, when he sent a bloop single over the second baseman's head, scoring Adams from third.
The victory seemed well in hand after six innings with Post 129 leading 6-2.
They scored their first run in the bottom of the first with Adams, who took first on an error, scoring on a single by Taylor with two outs.
Washington scored twice in the top of the fourth with Colton Sanderson and Cody Snyder crossing home plate. Sanderson walked to start the inning and scored on a base hit to centerfield by Snyder. Snyder put Washington C.H. ahead, scoring on a Ty Leach ground out.
The lead didn't last long for the Aces, with Hillsboro adding three runs for a 4-2 advantage. Hillsboro was down to their last out of the inning, but with Adams on first on a fielder's choice, the game quickly turned in the favor of the host team, with Jacob Dillon reaching on an errant throw.
Now with two runners on the bases, Shaver rocketed the ball out of the park, over the left field fence, for three runs, putting Post 129 up by two.
The lead went to four runs after the sixth inning with Smucker and Adams scoring on a ground out by Shaver and a sacrifice fly by Brandon Carter.
Then came the seventh for Post 129, an inning that changed the complexion of the game, with Washington scoring four times, tying the game at six.
The winning pitcher for Post 129 was Shaver, pitching to one batter, keeping the game tied at six. He started off the at-bat by throwing three consecutive balls, then three straight strikes, ending the inning on a high fastball which the batter swung right through.
Zach Uhl pitched in relief, and starting the game for Post 129 was Tucker Hughes, who had six solid innings, until the seventh where he was charged with all four runs, leaving the game with the bases loaded.
Hughes pitched 6 1-3 innings, finishing with seven strikeouts. He allowed five hits, keeping Post 25 hitless through the first three innings. Hughes walked four.
Others for Post 129 who gained hits were Stephen Pappas (2-for-3) and Luke Meyer, who also had a stolen base.
- - - -
The first game of the doubleheader was dominated by Post 129, winning 11-1 on a five-inning run rule.
For Hillsboro, they had five players finish with two hits in Bean, Uhl, Taylor, Adams and Carey (2-for-2, one walk).
Walker and Shaver each had one hit.
Washington scored their lone run in the first inning, with Sanderson crossing home plate on a single by Snyder.
That would be the lone time the Aces held the lead because the rest of the game belonged to the home team.
Hillsboro tied the game in the first with Bryce Bean scoring on a ground out by Hughes. Bean finished with three stolen bases and two runs scored.
Post 129 took the lead with Taylor scoring on a single by Adams. Taylor singled with two outs, taking second on a passed ball. His run put Hillsboro up 2-1.
In the third inning, Hillsboro kicked their level of play into another gear, with seven hits and seven runs.
Bean started things off with a base hit to right field, then stealing second base.
With two outs after a fielder's choice put Shaver on first, Brady Camp took first on an error, allowing Bean to score. Uhl followed with a double, scoring Shaver.
Taylor singled, scoring two runners, making the score 7-1. Also scoring in the inning were Adams and Carey for the seven-run lead.
In the third, Hillsboro sent 13 batters to the plate.
Hillsboro added their final two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, with Uhl and Corey Walker scoring. Walker, the final run, scored on a passed ball.
The pitching win went to Tyler Campbell, with his gem of a game earning him the victory.
In his five innings on the hill, Campbell struck out two and allowed just the one earned run. He walked two batters and allowed three hits.
Hillsboro has little time to rest as they are set to host the Cincinnati Storm Club Saturday in a doubleheader, with Game 1 starting at 1 p.m. Earlier this season, the Storm Club defeated Post 129, 16-6 in a scheduled nine-inning game.
- - - -
This past Tuesday, Hillsboro gained their sixth win of the season, defeating the Chillicothe Capitals, 3-2 at Unioto High School in Ross County.
Two of Hillsboro's runs came in the third inning, with Bean and Walker scoring on a base hit by Hughes and a sacrifice fly by Shaver.
The third and final run came in the fifth inning with Walker, who singled, scoring the run.
Casey Jordan earned the win, striking out four, while allowing two runs, both earned.
At the plate, Walker was 2-for-3, and Hughes was 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch. Camp, Campbell and Taylor each had a hit. Hillsboro finished with seven hits.
Hughes, Shaver and Camp all had one RBI.[[In-content Ad]]
This week alone, Hillsboro almost equaled their season total in wins, defeating the Chillicothe Capitals Tuesday by a 3-2 score, but Friday, in the second game of the twin bill, Post 129 took a four-run lead, saw it evaporate and came through with a two-out walk-off single by Dustin Taylor for the one-day sweep of the Aces.
Taylor went 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the game, helping the Post 129 squad improve to 8-14 overall.
The bottom of the eighth, again, didn't come easy for the home team, but did begin with Taylor Smucker reaching first on an infield single hit to the shortstop, followed by Ian Adams reaching first on an infield error. Adams scored four runs in the game, reaching the bases with a single, two fielder's choices and on two errors.
Hillsboro gambled with no outs and a runner on third, attempting a suicide squeeze, but the runner was thrown out before he reached the plate. The second out quickly followed with a ground out, keeping the ball in the infield for the first three batters.
Cody Shaver was intentionally walked (he hit a 3-run home run in the fourth inning), then Matt Carey was walked on a 3-2 count.
With the bases loaded, Taylor walked to the plate and went to a pitcher's count early, swinging and missing twice. But then he got the job done, down to his final strike with two outs, when he sent a bloop single over the second baseman's head, scoring Adams from third.
The victory seemed well in hand after six innings with Post 129 leading 6-2.
They scored their first run in the bottom of the first with Adams, who took first on an error, scoring on a single by Taylor with two outs.
Washington scored twice in the top of the fourth with Colton Sanderson and Cody Snyder crossing home plate. Sanderson walked to start the inning and scored on a base hit to centerfield by Snyder. Snyder put Washington C.H. ahead, scoring on a Ty Leach ground out.
The lead didn't last long for the Aces, with Hillsboro adding three runs for a 4-2 advantage. Hillsboro was down to their last out of the inning, but with Adams on first on a fielder's choice, the game quickly turned in the favor of the host team, with Jacob Dillon reaching on an errant throw.
Now with two runners on the bases, Shaver rocketed the ball out of the park, over the left field fence, for three runs, putting Post 129 up by two.
The lead went to four runs after the sixth inning with Smucker and Adams scoring on a ground out by Shaver and a sacrifice fly by Brandon Carter.
Then came the seventh for Post 129, an inning that changed the complexion of the game, with Washington scoring four times, tying the game at six.
The winning pitcher for Post 129 was Shaver, pitching to one batter, keeping the game tied at six. He started off the at-bat by throwing three consecutive balls, then three straight strikes, ending the inning on a high fastball which the batter swung right through.
Zach Uhl pitched in relief, and starting the game for Post 129 was Tucker Hughes, who had six solid innings, until the seventh where he was charged with all four runs, leaving the game with the bases loaded.
Hughes pitched 6 1-3 innings, finishing with seven strikeouts. He allowed five hits, keeping Post 25 hitless through the first three innings. Hughes walked four.
Others for Post 129 who gained hits were Stephen Pappas (2-for-3) and Luke Meyer, who also had a stolen base.
- - - -
The first game of the doubleheader was dominated by Post 129, winning 11-1 on a five-inning run rule.
For Hillsboro, they had five players finish with two hits in Bean, Uhl, Taylor, Adams and Carey (2-for-2, one walk).
Walker and Shaver each had one hit.
Washington scored their lone run in the first inning, with Sanderson crossing home plate on a single by Snyder.
That would be the lone time the Aces held the lead because the rest of the game belonged to the home team.
Hillsboro tied the game in the first with Bryce Bean scoring on a ground out by Hughes. Bean finished with three stolen bases and two runs scored.
Post 129 took the lead with Taylor scoring on a single by Adams. Taylor singled with two outs, taking second on a passed ball. His run put Hillsboro up 2-1.
In the third inning, Hillsboro kicked their level of play into another gear, with seven hits and seven runs.
Bean started things off with a base hit to right field, then stealing second base.
With two outs after a fielder's choice put Shaver on first, Brady Camp took first on an error, allowing Bean to score. Uhl followed with a double, scoring Shaver.
Taylor singled, scoring two runners, making the score 7-1. Also scoring in the inning were Adams and Carey for the seven-run lead.
In the third, Hillsboro sent 13 batters to the plate.
Hillsboro added their final two runs in the fourth and fifth innings, with Uhl and Corey Walker scoring. Walker, the final run, scored on a passed ball.
The pitching win went to Tyler Campbell, with his gem of a game earning him the victory.
In his five innings on the hill, Campbell struck out two and allowed just the one earned run. He walked two batters and allowed three hits.
Hillsboro has little time to rest as they are set to host the Cincinnati Storm Club Saturday in a doubleheader, with Game 1 starting at 1 p.m. Earlier this season, the Storm Club defeated Post 129, 16-6 in a scheduled nine-inning game.
- - - -
This past Tuesday, Hillsboro gained their sixth win of the season, defeating the Chillicothe Capitals, 3-2 at Unioto High School in Ross County.
Two of Hillsboro's runs came in the third inning, with Bean and Walker scoring on a base hit by Hughes and a sacrifice fly by Shaver.
The third and final run came in the fifth inning with Walker, who singled, scoring the run.
Casey Jordan earned the win, striking out four, while allowing two runs, both earned.
At the plate, Walker was 2-for-3, and Hughes was 2-for-2 and was hit by a pitch. Camp, Campbell and Taylor each had a hit. Hillsboro finished with seven hits.
Hughes, Shaver and Camp all had one RBI.[[In-content Ad]]