CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Cincinnati Steam lost a heartbreaking 6-3 elimination playoff game at Max McLeary Field to the Hamilton Joes. The defeat ends the Steam’s season after a 30-12 regular record. Hamilton advances to the semi-final best-of three game series against the Southern Ohio Copperheads on starting Thursday night.

Cincinnati jumped out in front in the second inning by a score of 2-0. 

Aaron Levy (Ohio University/Princeton HS) lead off the inning with a single followed by a walk to Thomas Bennett (University of Kentucky). Jonathan Brus (Dayton/St. Xavier HS) loaded the bases when he reached on an error. Marshall Gei (University of Kentucky) grounded into a fielder’s choice that drove in Levy and Bennett scored on a throwing error by Hamilton shortstop Justin McConnell.

Hamilton came back to tie the score in the third inning. First baseman Chris Hamilton reached base on a two-out walk. Griffin Doersching, the GLSCL leader in home runs during the regular season, made the walk haunt the Steam with a towering two-run homer to left field.

Cincinnati recaptured the lead 3-2 when Griffin Bernardo (Central Florida), the GLSCL Ron Miller Top Pro Prospect, hit a solo home run to left-center field in the fifth inning.

The Joes tied the game in the eighth inning thanks to a heads up base running play. Jared Kauffman lead off with a walk. Trey Compton laid down a sacrifice bunt and Kauffman advanced all the way to third base when no one was covering the bag. Kauffman then scored the tying run on an RBI ground out by Justin McConnell.

With the score tied 3-3 going into the top of the ninth, Kauffman lead off with a single. After Compton lined out to shortstop, McConnell came to the plate. He hit a ball to the left field corner and instead of the throwing the ball to third base the ball was thrown behind the lead runner to second allowing Kauffman to easily score the go-ahead run.

At this point the Steam seemed rattled and the Joes put the game out of reach with a two-run home run off the bat of Hamilton.

The Steam were retired in order in the bottom of the ninth inning allowing the Joes to advance in the playoffs and the Steam to go home for the summer.

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.