CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Cincinnati Steam used a seventh-inning rally for the second consecutive night to defeat the Muskegon Clippers 11-7 Wednesday night at Max McLeary Field. The victory give the Steam a 3-0 record to begin the 2018 season.

Jonathan Brus (Dayton/St. Xavier HS) earned the win with two and 2/3 innings of relief while striking out six batters. Brus got the start as the designated hitter and went 1-for-4 with 2 RBI’s

The Steam offense notched 14 hits including three by right fielder Michael Cleary (Dayton/St. Xavier HS). Five batters in the Cincinnati lineup scratched out multiple hits. 

Eddie Purisnger’s (Dayton/Anderson HS) only hit was a two-run first inning home run that set the early pace for the Steam. 

Muskegon tied the score 6-6 in the top of the seventh before Brus came into the game, shutting down Muskegon’s rally and holding down the Clippers to just one run in the inning.

Jaylyn Whitehead (Central Florida) was also a bright spot out of the Steam bullpen. Whitehead struck out six batters over the course of three and 1/3 innings.

The Steam hit the road for a two-game series against the Lake Erie Monarchs. Both games will be at Flat Rock Field and each one is scheduled to begin at 7:05pm. Nathan Kroger (Cincinnati/Milford HS) will get the start on Thursday with Grant Macciocchi (Kentucky/Moeller HS) taking the mound on Friday. 

Both games will be broadcast live on the Steam’s website as Brady Laber will have the call. Go to cincinnatisteam.com and under the Media tab click on Listen Live to access the broadcast.

ABOUT THE CINCINNATI STEAM: The Cincinnati Steam has earned a spot in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League playoffs in 10 of its 12 seasons of existence. Three times the Steam has played in the GLSCL championship round including winning the title in both 2008 and 2009.

ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE: The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate, which is entering its 30th season, is a wood-bat league that is certified by the NCAA and is partially funded by Major League Baseball. The league boasts several players that have earned service time in major league baseball including six former Steam players.