By Jacob Russell

CINCINNATI, Ohio - After pitching a combined shutout Friday night, Cincinnati needed way more offense to come back for their 20th win of the summer.

Cincinnati’s calm before the storm was left fielder Grant Richardson’s (Indiana) sacrifice fly to left that scored Gephry Pena (Central Florida), who hit a leadoff triple, in the bottom of the first inning. 

Fans quickly forgot about the Steam’s early run when Richmond put up six runs in the second inning. Their first three runs came home when shortstop Zach Jarosz (Butler) cleared loaded bases with a double. 

Both teams scoring two runs in the third inning had no effect on the Jazz’s five-run lead. Jarosz and first baseman Austin Hatfield (Earlham College) hit consecutive RBI singles. For Cincinnati, Richardson got Pena home again, this time with a single, and right fielder Alex Neff’s (Wright State) walk plated Richardson.

Steam starting pitcher Jared Flueck (Northern Kentucky) was relieved after giving up Richmond’s two runs in the third. He struck out three while allowing eight earned runs on ten hits in two and one-third innings.

Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Tyler Wardwell’s (Miami) first of two three-run homers put Cincinnati within two runs of the Jazz in the fifth inning. As the Steam began their comeback, reliever Cade Spikes (North Greenville) held Richmond to only one hit in two and two-thirds innings and struck out three. 

Jazz starter Seth Pritchett (Ohio Wesleyan) was taken off the mound after Wardwell’s home run. Pritchett pitched four and one-third innings, allowed six earned runs on six hits, struck out three and walked five. 

In the sixth inning, Richmond added their ninth run and Cincinnati doubled their runs to twelve. Second baseman Eddie Pursinger (Dayton) put up the Steam’s first run in the inning by bringing in Richardson with a single. Wardwell’s second three-run bomb gave his team a 10-9 lead. Two insurance runs reached home thanks to a single off the bat of Pena, who finished a home run short of the cycle.

Those six runs in the sixth made Caleb Meeks (Evansville), who started as the designated hitter, the losing pitcher. Meeks, whose record fell two 0-2, allowed five hits and six earned runs, struck out two and walked four in one and two-thirds innings. 

The winning pitcher for the Steam, southpaw Casey Grimm (Wright State Lake), pitched the game’s final four innings, gave up one earned run on three hits and struck out two. Grimm is now 2-1 with a 4.34 ERA.  

Richardson’s RBI walk and first baseman Christian Bault’s (Eastern Michigan) RBI fielder’s choice against Zackary Stiteler (Ohio Wesleyan) in the eighth inning weren’t needed in the end, as Cincinnati prevailed 14-9. 

Southern Indiana's Jordan Menfee (2-1, 5.94 ERA) is projected to start on Sunday at 5:05 p.m. in Richmond. The Steam (20-15) return from the All-Star break with their final homestand of the summer, against the Hamilton Joes (18-15).

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