Twinsburg OH- The Kenston Bombers (17-10) came face-to-face with the Norwayne Bobcats (20-4-1) in hopes of a District Championship. Jimmy Cerha was called upon for the Bombers to take the hill. His counterpart was Beau Polen from the Bobcats.
Didn't take long for the Bombers to collect their first hit as Carter Flynn got it started immediately with a leadoff single. L.A. Mighton grounded into a nicely turned double play from Norwayne. Drew McKenna picked up a two out base hit, but nothing comes of it as Lucas Kaltenbach became Polen's first strikeout victim. Lucas Dudte and Beau Polen both singled to open the bottom of the first for Norwayne. Despite Jake Gill's strikeout and Dudte being caught at 3rd on a steal attempt, Jay Hazie would move Polen to 3rd with a two-out single. Logan Dichler would come through with an RBI single to left, driving in Polen for the Bobcats first run of the night. Micheal Steingass grounded out to end the first inning.
Tommy Pecoraro was struck out by Polen, as Steingass and Faircloth would take care of the final two outs in the 2nd. Percoraro would make up for the strikeout by recording the first pair of outs in the 2nd. Dyaln Tanner went down looking at strike three from Jimmy Cerha.
Flynn's two out double gave the Bombers a scoring opportunity. Mighton reached on an error, moving the tying run to 3rd. McKenna flied out to left as the Bombers were unable to tie it up. Dudte drew a leadoff walk that was followed by Polen's single. Cerha and the Bomber defense would escape the jam unscaved, including another strikeout for Cerha.
Kaltenbach's leadoff single put the tying run on base for Kenston. Pecoraro's grounder would prove costly as an error would allow him to reach safely. Parker Munday layed down a perfect bunt advancing both runners into scoring position. Nikko Geogiuo gave the Bombers the lead with a two run double. Bridger Biscof collected an RBI double of his own as Kenston's lead had grown to 3-1. The Bobcats defense backed up Polen to end the inning. Steingass doubled to lead things off for Norwayne. Eli Stanley would cut into the Bomber lead with an RBI single. After Kenston gets two outs, Lucas Dudte would deliever with an RBI single to knott the game up at 3. Bombers end the inning before further damage was done.
Despite the leadoff single for Mighton, a strikeout from McKenna followed by a groundout and pop out the game would stay knotted at 3. A one out error and walk put two Bobcats on base. A textbook 4-6-3 double play turned by Pecoraro and Flynn, who made a laser of a throw to 1st to finish off the twin-killer.
Georgiou's one out walk set up Bischof for a go-ahead RBI triple, giving the Bombers a 4-3 lead. Grant Beclay's sacrifice fly would add an insurance run for Kenston, giving them another two-run lead. With two outs Cater Flynn drew a four pitch walk to keep the inning moving. Mighton doubled to left, but nothing to show for it as McKenna flied out to center. Stanley worked a leadoff walk, and Snyder reached on an error. After Tanner went down on strikes to Kenston reliever Nikko Georgiou, Lucas Dudte collected an RBI single to trim the Bomber lead back down to a single run. A swift pickoff move the 2nd from Georgiou resulted in the second out. Beau Polen struck out swinging to end the 6th.
Following Brayden Harklau's strikeout of Kaltenbach, Pecoraro singled to left. Back to back fly outs to left sent the game into the bottom of the 7th with Norwayne down 5-4. Jake Gill and Jay Hanzie both struck out at the hand of Georgiou. Dichler singled to keep hope alive for the Bobcats, but all for naught as Steingass popped out in foul territory to end the game.
A hard fought tooth and nail victory for the Kenston Bombers was aided by their ten hits at the plate. Carter Flynn, LA Mighton and Bridger Bischof all had two hit nights. Bischof and Nikko Georgiou led the Bombers with two RBI nights.
FINAL STATS:
CF: 2-3 2B BB
LM: 2-4 2B
BB: 2-3 R 2B 3B 2RBI
NG: 1-3 2R 2B 2RBI BB
Jimmy Cerha started on the bump for the Bombers, working four innings surrendering eight hits with three earned runs followed by a walk and three strikeouts. Avery Siperke came in for relief in the 5th en route to the victory on the mound. He did allow a run with a pair of walks through his one inning of work. The save goes to Nikko Geogiou as he only allowed two hits with four strikeouts in two innings of relief.
FINAL LINES:
JC: 4IP 8H 3ER BB 3K
AS (W): 1IP 1R 2BB
NG (S): 2IP 2H 4K
The Norwayne Bobcats matched the Bombers ten hits with ten of their own. Logan Dichler, Beau Polen and Lucas Dudte all collected multi-hit nights. Dudte's two RBIs led the way for Norwayne.
FINAL STATS:
LD: 3-3 2RBI BB
BP: 2-4 1R
JH: 1-4
LD: 2-3 RBI BB
MS: 1-4 R
ES: 1-2 2R RBI BB
Beau Polen took the mound to start, working three and a third, giving up two runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Jake Gill took the loss on the bump as he came in with the game tied, going two and a third innings allowing two runs on four hits, two walks and a strikeout. Brayden Harklau was called upon to hold the Bomber lead at two, he did that in his one and third innings of work, only surrendering one hit with a strikeout. BP: 3.1IP 5H 3R 2ER 3K
JG: 2.1IP 4H 2ER 2BB 1K
BH: 1.1IP 1H 1K