By Jacob Russell

NEWARK, Ohio - Licking County’s eight runs in the first four innings were enough to double Cincinnati in game one, but Southern Ohio’s win over Richmond keeps the GLSCL South playoff picture open.

Designated hitter Andrew Eng’s (Binghamton) RBI double and Sam Wilson’s (Ohio State) sacrifice fly to left knocked around Steam starter Jordan Menfee (Southern Indiana) before he could record out number three.

A two-RBI single off the bat of Casimer Sobaszek (Mercyhurst College) in the following inning put Cincinnati down four runs.

The Settlers, who entered the game tied with the Steam at 23-16, weren’t playing around when they sent Liam Devine (Monroe CC) to the mound to start the series. Devine entered the game with a 0.24 ERA in 28.2 innings. 

Cincinnati catcher Ben McCabe’s (Central Florida) solo shot to left in the third inning ticked that ERA up.

Menfee had a bit of run support entering the bottom of the fourth inning, but all he did from there was make things difficult for the first reliever out of the Steam’s bullpen, Ethan Doty (Otterbein). With no outs, Sobaszek got his third RBI, loaded the bases using a single off the Cincinnati starter before he was relieved. 

Doty allowed all three inherited baserunners to score before pitching two scoreless innings of his own. When Menfee’s book was closed, he had three innings pitched, eight runs (seven earned) allowed on seven hits, two strikeouts and three walks. He now has a 3-2 and a 6.81 ERA.

Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Gephry Pena (Central Florida), who went 3-5 with an RBI and two runs scored, used an RBI double to cut the Steam’s deficit to six runs in the fifth inning. Pena later scored on a Drew Reckart (Dyersburg State CC) RBI single to make the score 8-3. 

Devine, who is now 5-0 with a 0.60 ERA, was done after six innings in which he allowed three runs (two earned) on five hits, struck out seven and walked three. 

A second Reckart RBI single, this one off Dawson Sims (Carson-Newman College), brought in Pena in the seventh inning to bring the Steam’s runs to half of Licking County’s. Tanner Griggs (Wittenburg U) struck out three in the final two and one-third innings.

Ohio University southpaw Nick Byrnes was the other reliever that contributed to the last five scoreless innings. Despite their bullpen’s best efforts, Cincinnati fell 8-4 in game one of their final regular-season series.

The Steam’s projected starter for Monday’s 7:05 p.m. game at Licking County is Cincinnati’s Andrew Noelker (3-1, 1.75 ERA). 

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