By Jacob Russell

CINCINNATI, Ohio - A thin Copperheads pitching staff forced their offense and remaining rotation to step up once again, and they did.

Cincinnati starting pitcher Cade Spikes (North Greenville), in his first start of the summer on June 30, allowed only two earned runs in seven innings. A six-run first inning capped off by left fielder Jared Heard’s (Indiana) three-RBI double shattered Spikes’ hopes of repeating that performance. Spikes, the losing pitcher, wasn’t given the mound for the second inning.

Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Nick Byrnes (Ohio) had a bumpy start to his longest appearance of the season. An error by the shortstop in the second inning took away an out the southpaw earned by forcing a fielder’s choice. Southern Ohio’s eighth run on the night came home later in the inning on a sacrifice fly that should’ve been the third out. 

Heard’s solo homer off Byrnes put his team up 9-0 after five innings. Byrnes’ final line was five innings in which he gave up seven hits, three runs (two earned) and struck out two.  

Braxton Kelly (Ohio), one of the five pitchers on the Copperheads active roster coming into this series, didn’t allow a run until the sixth inning. Three consecutive walks gave the Steam their first run of the night, with center fielder Ethan Stringer (Louisville) drawing the RBI walk and catcher Cameron Rountree (Wright State) reaching home. 

Kelly got his first win (and decision) of the summer thanks to the following quality start: six innings pitched (114 pitches), five hits and one earned run allowed, eight strikeouts and five walks. 

Stringer gave Cincinnati another consolation run in the eighth inning by driving in left fielder Jake Silverstein (Dayton) with an RBI single.

Heard’s walk in the ninth gave him his fifth RBI of the night and put Southern Ohio up 10-2. While closing out the game, Steam lefty Jonathan Brus (Dayton) gave up two hits, one earned run and struck out three in three innings.

Two RBI singles, off the bats of Rountree and Silverstein, in the ninth inning with Colin Sells (Ohio) and outfielder Carter Cross (Nebraska) on the mound just didn’t cut it for Cincinnati.  

After the off day, the Steam (18-12) begin week six with a series against the Xenia Scouts (14-16).

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