By Jacob Russell

NEWARK, Ohio - The Steam, who lost 8-4 Sunday night, returned that “double loss,” 6-3, on Monday thanks to Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Gephry Pena’s (Central Florida) three-run homer in the sixth inning. 

Andrew Noelker’s (Cincinnati) winning start of five innings pitched, one earned run allowed on four hits, seven strikeouts and two walks put the visiting team in position to take a lead in the middle innings. He is now 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA.

Licking County leadoff man Turner Hill (Malone College), the only batter to break through Noelker, hit a single and knocked in Casimer Sobaszek (Mercyhurst College) in the third inning.

Innings four through six were as easy as “1-2-3” for Cincinnati’s offense. A sacrifice fly to left off the bat of Ethan Stringer (Louisville) tied in the game in the fourth inning. In the following inning, Jake Silverstein (Dayton) hit an RBI single before Pena scored on an error by the catcher. Last but not least was Pena’s doubling of his team’s runs to make the lead 6-1. 

The first half of those runs went on the line of Settlers starting pitcher Beau Foster (Jackson CC), who got the loss after pitching four innings in which he allowed three earned runs on six hits, struck out three and walked one. Foster is now 2-1 with a 5.08 ERA.

Three of Licking County’s four relievers struck out at least two in one or more scoreless innings. The exception was Brennen Herbert (Appalachian State), who gave up Pena’s home run. 

Jack Dungan (Eastern Michigan) had an unearned run in the seventh inning, but it was his hit by pitch, throwing error, and walk that put Alex Firsdon (Iowa Western CC) in a precarious situation. Firsdon, who thought he had a strikeout on the previous pitch, went back to the slider against Andrew Eng (Binghamton) and gave up a solo home run in the eighth. 

Jonathan Brus (Dayton) secured his fourth save of the summer to force the following playoff scenario: a win or a Southern Ohio Copperheads loss to the Richmond Jazz puts the Steam in the playoffs on Tuesday.

The projected starter for Cincinnati’s pivotal final regular-season game at Licking County at 7:05 p.m. is Northern Kentucky’s Jared Flueck (2-2, 5.84 ERA). 

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