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Rake Duty
Saturday's sunny skies helped dry a week's worth of rain, but Loramie's Jake Boerger and Mitch Ahlers still got rake duty from coach Bill Sturwold.
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05/03/09 - Sonny Fulks/1570wptw.com
The on again, off again, season of the Ft. Loramie Redskins continued Saturday with the Redskins’ doubleheader split with MAC opponent Parkway.
In the first game the ‘Skins cruised to a 9-2 win behind the six-hit pitching of sophomore Andy Schieltz and the four-hit performance of centerfielder Mitch Raterman. And, eight Parkway errors helped, too, continually set the table for the Loramie offense.
But in the second game Parkway righthander Chad Shellabarger scattered 6 hits and stranded the potential tying runs on second and third base in the bottom of the seventh inning to gain a 6-4 win and the Panthers’ 6th win of the season. Loramie’s record now stands at 12-7.
“I would have really liked to have won that one,” admitted ‘Skins coach Bill Sturwold afterwards. “13-6 sure looks better than 12-7. We just didn’t have that one pitcher in the second game who could come in and get us a strikeout when we needed it.”
Indeed. It was a game that saw Sturwold make 8 different pitching changes, using the same five pitchers…Zack Eilerman, Justin Hoying, Jake Boerger, Mitch Ahlers (three times) and Andy Schieltz. It was not enough.
“We just needed a little of the magic from the past,” he smiled. “We’ve been able to do that before and get an out with our defense, but we couldn’t do it today.”
For a while it appeared that Justin Hoying’s first home run of the season would help the Redskins to a sweep, His second-inning blast to left field contributed to a 4-3 lead entering the sixth inning. But Parkway was not go away quietly. They scored three runs in the top of the sixth to take a 6-4 lead when Loramie could not get the third out of the inning...aided by a throwing error to first base by “pitcher” Jake Boerger. They would not relinquish that lead, even to a two-out Loramie threat in the bottom of the seventh.
Mitch Raterman singled and Jake Boerger doubled to left to put runners on second and third for Andy Schieltz, who had previously doubled in the fifth inning to drive in the Redskins’ third run of the game. But this time he got caught looking…at a third strike to end the game.
“We’re coming together…we’re getting’ there,” said Sturwold. “Today we just couldn’t close the deal in the second game. The league (title) is still a possibility, but we have to win at Anna on Monday to have a chance.
“Sunday’s tournament draw will be interesting,” he said, without predicting a seed for his ballclub. “But,” he added, “…Covington’s got the better record for the season and we beat them head-to-head. We’ll just wait and see.”
But whatever happens, Bill Sturwold left Saturday's doubleheader wishing for an arm like that of Jordan Goldschmidt's from the past…one to come in and get that elusive third out with the bases loaded. Saturday it cost him a ballgame and who knows what come Sunday’s draw.
13-6 does look a lot better than 12-7!
Extra Bases…
Mitch Raterman finished Saturday’s doubleheader having gone 7 for 8 on the afternoon…four hits in the opener and three in the nightcap.
“Just in time for me to send the stats into the Dayton Daily News,” smiled Sturwold. “Today might be enough to get him all-area recognition.”
Other Redskin candidates could include Mitch Ahlers (.415 avg., 2-0 pitching), Justin Hoying (.370 avg.), and Jay Schulze (.340 avg. and 6 homers).
Speaking of Sunday's tournament draw, Covington's chances for a #1-seed could have been hurt by the results of their Cross County Conference showdown with Franklin Monroe on Saturday. FM blasted the Buccs, 14-1, behind outstanding righthander Austin Pressley.
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