By Jacob Russell

CINCINNATI, Ohio - Cincinnati’s pitching staff improved mightily from their first playoff game, but Darius Diaz’s (Kennesaw State) three-RBI double was all Licking County needed to advance to the GLSCL Championship against the Lima Locos.

Warsaw Federal Player of the Game Jake Schrand (Wright State), who pitched five innings of no-hit baseball in his last start on July 20 against Hamilton, gave up only two hits, struck out 13, and walked three in six scoreless innings Friday night. The GLSCL South All-Star and Second Team selection didn’t receive a decision.

Settlers starting pitcher Liam Devine (Monroe CC) gave his team a quality start against the Steam at home on July 21, the beginning of the last regular-season series, and improved on that performance by having only one blemish on his line in his first playoff start.

In the final inning of Devine’s start, center fielder Gephry Pena (Central Florida) drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, and came home on a Jake Silverstein (Dayton) double. Devine’s quality start of six innings pitched, one earned run allowed on five hits, two strikeouts, and a walk gave him the win.

Unfortunately for the home fans at Max McLeary Field, their team’s one-run lead wouldn’t last long. Southpaw Jonathan Brus’ (Dayton) control issues and a blown double play by the second baseman in the following inning gave Diaz the opportunity to hit his three-RBI double down the first base line. 

Evan Miller (Xavier), a late addition to Cincinnati and GLSCL’s Week 8 Pitcher of the Week, kept his perfect ERA on the summer intact in the final two innings, but clean relief pitching has never scored runs.  

Licking County’s strong bullpen had no problem defending their team’s two-run lead. Tanner Griggs (Wittenberg) pitched a clean seventh in his fourth relief appearance against the Steam in six days. Nick Meyer (Otterbein) got the six-out save that increased his league-leading total to 11 heading into the Settlers’ best-of-three series against the Lima Locos, the 2019 GLSCL North champions.

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