By Jacob Russell

NEWARK, Ohio - Cincinnati is in the playoffs thanks to Richmond’s 13-5 win over Southern Ohio, but it still hurts to lose the top spot in the GLSCL South to a walk-off homer.

In the bottom of the second inning, Licking County scored the first run of the game for the third time this series. Evan Fromwiller (Ohio), started off the inning getting hit by a pitch, advanced to third on a wild pitch prior to leadoff man Turner Hill’s RBI single (Malone College).

The Settlers’ starting pitcher, southpaw Michael Osmond (Wittenberg), entered Tuesday night with an ERA four runs lower than Steam starter Jared Flueck’s (Northern Kentucky). Despite that disparity, both pitchers struggled in the third inning and didn’t get a decision.

Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Drew Reckart’s (Dyersburg State CC) two-RBI single gave his team the lead in the top of the third before coming home on a passed ball. 

Osmond allowed three earned runs on three hits, struck out two and walked three, but still has a 2-0 record and 1.98 ERA. 

Flueck blew the 3-1 lead he had been given without finishing the third, as lefty Casey Grimm (Wright State Lake) was brought in for the last out. The final line for Flueck was two and two-thirds innings pitched, four runs (three earned) on seven hits and one walk. He finishes the regular season with a 2-2 record and 6.03 ERA.

Don Edwards Park has a reputation for strange infield bounces, and the infield behind Cincinnati reliever Evan Miller (Xavier) got the worst of it. Three fielding errors put two unearned runs on Miller’s line in the fifth inning, which is why he had to get a strikeout for every out in his two innings of relief. 

Settlers catcher Phil Ferranti (Mercyhurst College), who would be replaced defensively in the top of the ninth, couldn’t keep the ball in front of him during Jake Silverstein’s (Dayton) at-bat in the sixth inning. A wild pitch and a passed ball put two unearned runs on Dawson Sims’ (Carson-Newman College) line, so he had to nearly mirror Miller by striking out two of his three outs. 

Both teams trusted their final reliever of the night to pitch at least three innings. Cade Spikes (North Greenville) eventually got the loss for the Steam, but he had no issues until the ninth inning. The same goes for winning pitcher Nick Meyer (Otterbein), Licking County’s closer and the league leader with 10 saves.

Reckart, the tying run, hit a leadoff single off Meyer in the top of the ninth. A bunt and a passed ball put Reckart on third before catcher Cameron Rountree’s (Wright State) RBI single tied the game at six. 

On his team’s last out, Bill Kopicki’s (Miami U) walk-off homer was ruled just inside the foul pole in left field. Kopicki was hitting .105 entering that at-bat, but he managed to help the Settlers win 7-6 and take the top seed in the GLSCL South.  

Games one and three of the division championship series are in Newark on July 25 and 27 at 7:05 p.m. The middle game, on July 26, at Max McLeary Field has the same first pitch time.

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