By Jacob Russell

CINCINNATI, Ohio - The Steam may have lost the middle game of this three-game series against Hamilton, but winning two out of three was enough to secure the top spot in the division heading into the final series. 

A beautiful slide into the backside of home plate by Joes center fielder Brennan Gick (Northern Kentucky) gave the visitors an edge in the first inning.

Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Jake Silverstein (Dayton) cracked Hamilton starting pitcher Drew Saunier (Walsh U) in the third inning with an RBI double that scored Gephry Pena (Central Florida). Silverstein was the only Steammate to have multiple hits in game one. 

An error in the following inning by the Joes third baseman allowed Cincinnati third baseman Braydon Runion (Walters State CC) to score his team’s last run of the game. 

Saunier’s final line was four innings pitched, two runs (one earned) allowed on three hits, seven strikeouts, and two walks. The GLSCL South All-Star now has a 3-1 record and 2.83 ERA. 

Steam starter Kyle LaCalameto (Dayton) was sent back to the mound, with many defensive changes behind him due to injuries, in the fifth inning and struggled mightily. LaCalameto, who is now 1-4, finished four innings, gave up four earned runs on five hits, struck out four and walked two. 

The Dayton southpaw had to be relieved by Cade Spikes (North Greenville) with the bases loaded and no outs. Three of the four earned runs in LaCalameto’s line were off Spikes in Hamilton’s four-run fifth. Joes catcher Brock Mathis’ (Louisiana State) two-RBI double closed the book on LaCalameto.

Spikes allowed his second earned run in the sixth before Zach Arnold (Cincinnati Clermont) pitched a clean seventh in his Steam debut. 

As the Joes revived their offense, Yi-Hsiang Hsiao (Kainan U [Taiwan]) earned his first save of the summer by pitching three innings of one-hit baseball.

After losing game one of the doubleheader, 6-2, Cincinnati needed a win in the nightcap to secure the series. It became clear early in game two that the winner would be the first team to break up the pitching duel. 

Jake Schrand (Wright State), the Steam’s starter and one of two Warsaw Federal Players of the Game, had a no-hitter through five innings before being relieved with a high pitch count and a one-run lead. Schrand struck out 12 (80% of his outs) and walked four on his way to his second win of the summer. He is now 2-1 with a 1.72 ERA. 

Opposing Schrand in this pitching duel was Hamilton starter Jacob Webb (Miami U). Webb struck out nine in only four innings, or 75% of his outs, while giving up four hits and walking two.

The first (and only) sign of offense in Cincinnati’s 1-0 win was Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Eddie Rivero’s (Xavier) first homer of the summer in the fifth inning off Yun Chao (Kainan U [Taiwan]), the losing pitcher. 

Steam lefty Casey Grimm (Wright State Lake) secured his first save of the summer by allowing three hits and striking out two in the final two innings.

The projected starter for game one against the Licking County Settlers, who are also 23-16, is Southern Indiana’s Jordan Menfee (3-1, 5.49 ERA).

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