Even in summer ball, you need to beat the teams that you should.
Desperately looking to maneuver up the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League standings, Southern Ohio kicked off a three-game set with Grand Lake, who sits at the bottom of the league’s standings. Scoring multiple runs in each of the final four innings, the Copperheads secured a 13-7 victory at home on Tuesday over the Mariners.
It was another double-digit hit performance from Southern Ohio in the win. Five different ‘Cheads had multi-hit games with Aiden Dunlap’s 2-4 performance with a pair of RBIs and a run scored leading the charge. Billy Adams, Joey Canzoni and Ben Clark all picked up two hits and an RBI while Alex Ungar racked up two hits and runs scored.
Michael Budorick and Pauly Mancino had an RBI hit while Alejandro Covas picked up a hit and a run scored. Ultimately, all but one Copperhead was able to secure a hit.
On the mound, Mike Diforte got the nod to start and lasted 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and six runs while striking out three and walking a pair. Drew Boyle had an impressive performance with just under three innings of work, allowing just one run before handing it off to Clay Clatterbaugh for the final inning. Clatterbaugh shut the door in the ninth with a scoreless frame to secure the win.
Southern Ohio threatened early with a pair of runners in scoring position in the bottom of the first but failed to convert on the opportunity, opening the door for Grand Lake to make a move.
The Mariners did so in short order too. After the first two batters of the third were sent down in order, Diforte allowed a single before hitting another batter to put two runners on base. A few short moments later, Stefan Di Corrado smoked a two-run double to left-center to open up scoring but was thrown out trying to advance to third to end the frame.
As the team had done just a couple innings before, Southern Ohio put multiple men in scoring position, even loading the bases up while looking to cut into the two-run deficit. Clark struck out to end the chance.
The Copperheads started their comeback efforts in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the lead in half to slowly claw back into this one. With Charlie Longmeier on second base after reaching via walk, Adams lined a single to bring in the Evansville product and make it a one-run game.
Grand Lake did its best to create some breathing room in the following frame with a two-out, two-run double to increase the lead up to three but the ‘Cheads bats continued to heat up.
Southern Ohio first canceled out the two runs with a pair of its own in the bottom of the fifth. Taking advantage of an early error in the frame, RBI singles from Dunlap and Budorick once again cut the deficit to just one run.
Once again seeing the Mariners tack on another pair of runs in the next inning, Southern Ohio simply had to go back to work with the bats.
Using a three-run sixth, the Copperheads were able to finally tie things up for the first time since the second inning. The first run came on a single from Canzoni with an error from Grand Lake’s defense allowing Ungar to cross home plate. Shortly after, RBI base knocks from Mancino and Clark made it a 6-6 game.
After holding the Mariners scoreless for the first time in a few innings, Southern Ohio was gifted the ultimate chance to take control of the matchup. The team didn’t waste any time cashing in.
Needing just one hit in the inning and seeing wild pitching from the Mariners throughout the frame, the Copperheads tacked on four runs in the seventh to suddenly grab a 10-6 lead with a couple innings remaining.
Grand Lake responded with one more in the eight but the barrage continued for the Copperheads as soon as they picked up the bats again. Once again taking advantage of sloppy pitching and fielding from Grand Lake, the Copperheads needed no hits to pour on three more runs and take a seven-run lead into the ninth.
Clatterbaugh finished out the ninth with a scoreless appearance, striking out a pair as the Copperheads grabbed a much-needed series opening victory
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