Locos slip past Grand Lake

LIMA – The Lima Locos had already clinched a playoff berth heading into Tuesday’s home game against the Grand Lake Mariners.

However, Locos coach Chad Ehrnsberger wanted his team to keep playing hard in its last two regular-season games.

On Tuesday, Lima jumped out to an early lead but found itself battling back down the stretch, en route to a hard-fought 10-9 victory over the Mariners.

After Lima pulled out to a 7-1 lead over Grand Lake through six innings, the Mariners scored seven runs in the top of the seventh to claim an 8-7 lead.

The score was knotted at 9 apiece in the bottom of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Liam Richards (Yavapai College) – who blasted a three-run home run in the first inning – hit a ground ball to the left side of the infield that drove in Lou Fujiwara (Portal) for the winning run.

Despite allowing nine runs on 14 hits, Lima (20-15) managed to come away with the victory. Grand Lake fell to 11-24 on the season.

“We’ll definitely take it. It was an ugly game, but somebody had to win it,” Ehrnsberger said. “A lot of times you say, ‘Somebody had to lose’. But this time, somebody had to win it. … Fortunately, it was us. With everything that we’ve got going on with the playoff seeding, we needed it, and we got it.

“We’ve lost a few in a row, so getting this win obviously helps us in the standings, but our mindset needs to get back to the winning ways. A close game like this – where we had such a big lead and lost it – will hopefully refocus us, and the guys will come ready to go tomorrow.”

The same two teams will square off tonight at Simmons Field for the final regular season contest with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m. The playoffs start this weekend. Matchups will be announced soon.

On Tuesday, the Locos jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Liam Richards blasted a shot over the leftfield fence for a three-run homer.

Grand Lake starting pitcher Gibson Adema (Indiana Wesleyan) stepped off the pitching mound with an apparent minor injury, while he faced Richards in the first. However, when Adema stepped back onto the mound and served up his next offering to the Locos rightfielder, Richards blasted a shot over the leftfield fence.

Ehrnsberger commented on how Richards (1 for 5, four RBI, two runs scored) took advantage of that early situation.

“I’m glad he did that because he must be in that mindset in that situation. You know he (Adema) is not going to overexert himself with that first pitch and probably not throw a breaking ball, so obviously he (Richards) was looking for a fastball. He got it, and he hit it. Liam is a good fastball hitter. … He’s a good hitter in general. So, I was glad that he was aggressive in that situation and was ready to swing if it was a good pitch,” Ehrnsberger said.

Carter Parks (St. Johns River State College) got the starting nod for the Locos on Tuesday.

Parks worked five innings, gave up one unearned run, scattered seven hits, and struck out six. He threw 79 pitches.

“He’s definitely going to throw for us in the playoffs. He’s thrown well about all summer,” Ehrnsberger said about Parks. “I’ve been telling him for a while now that I was going to get him a start because he’s earned it.

“Obviously, (he went) five innings, one run – and that one run was because of a bad-hop single. He’s done well for us all summer. We’ve had a lot of pitchers who have done well for us.”

Bath product Skyler Lhamon (Olney Central College) took over pitching duties in the sixth for the Locos. Lhamon lasted just 1 2/3 innings before he was replaced by Griffin Howe (St. Johns River State College). Lhamon was tabbed for seven runs in his short stint.

For the game, Lima had seven hits, committed one error and left six runners on base. Grand Lake made five errors and left six baserunners stranded.

For the Locos, Sebastian Alexander (Coastal Carolina) went 2 for 4, including a double.

Ty Davis led the Mariners at the plate, going 3 for 5 with 3 RBI.

Lima Locos 10, Grand Lake Mariners 9

Box score (r-h-e)

Grand Lake 0 0 1 0 0 0 7 1 0 – 9 -14-5

Lima Locos 3 0 0 0 1 3 1 0 2 – 10-7-1

WP – (Lima): Griffin Howe

LP – (Grand Lake): Ryan Uhlenhake

2B – (Lima): Sebastian Alexander 1, Caden Lockwood 1; (Grand Lake): Ty Davis

HR – (Lima): Liam Richards 1

Records: Lima 20-15; Grand Lake 11-24

Grand Lake 9 (ab-r-h-rbi)

Drew Emmerson 4-1-2-1, Cameron Bryant 5-1-2-1, Ty Davis 5-1-3-3, Jackson Raines 5-0-1-1, Stefan Di Corrado 5-1-2-1, Edwin Bowman 5-1-1-0, Johnny Nixon 5-1-1-0, Ethyn Barnitz 4-1-1-1, Austyn Peak 3-0-2-0

Lima 10 (ab-r-h-rbi)

Justin Gorski 4-1-0-0, Lou Fujiwara 4-1-0-0, Sebastian Alexander 4-2-2-0, Kaden Brown 5-1-1-1, Liam Richards 5-1-1-4, Landon Tate 1-1-0-1, Brice Estep 3-0-1-1, Caden Lockwood 4-0-1-0, Bo Shinkle 4-1-1-0