Taking no days off, the Southern Ohio Copperheads returned to the field Friday night to face off against the Grand Lake Mariners. 

Friday’s game was sponsored by Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine, on their behalf the first pitch was thrown by Mary Beth Burton, a former softball player and current second year student at the college.

Pitcher Peyton Buckley stepped up to the mound to start the Copperheads off right during the first inning. Outfielders let nothing past them, stopping the Mariners from getting any runners on base. During the bottom of the first the Copperheads struggled to find a rhythm and had 3 consecutive strikeouts.

With Buckley still on the mound during the second inning the Copperheads made an attempted double play on the infield but unfortunately resulted in the Mariners scoring 2 runs. Transitioning into the bottom of the second Will Heisler received a walk to first and made it to third on an error before JP Olsen helped him get home with a single. At the bottom of the second the score was close at 3-1 with the Mariners taking the lead. 

During the third inning the Mariners turned up the heat, scoring a double on an error allowing them to add 2 more runs to the board. 

Entering the fourth inning the Mariners had a four point lead but the Copperhead’s didn't let that get to them. Buckley threw 2 strikeouts stopping any Mariners from scoring. Ronnie Rowley and Will Heisler were able to score runs with help from a single hit by JP Olsen and a walk scored by Frankie Clark, keeping the score close at 5-3. 

Innings five and six were at a stalemate with neither team getting any runners past first, during the sixth inning Zane Loveday took over for pitcher. 

The seventh inning was full of good attempts by the Copperheads, Tylan Graves and Will Heisler hit a single and Ronnie Rowley received a walk but unfortunately all were left on base keeping the score still at 5-3. 

Thomas Adair took the mound as pitcher starting in the eighth inning, throwing 1 strikeout no Mariners were able to score. Similarly to the previous inning the Copperheads had many good attempts but Frankie Clark and Jack Ferguson were both left on base.

The Mariners took the game home during the ninth inning, Adam Wandzel pitched 1 strikeout but unfortunately with 2 walks the Mariners were able to secure 3 runs during the ninth inning making the final score 8-3. 

The Copperheads look for redemption against the Mariners on Saturday June 14th at Bob Wren, come out and support your Cheads!

By: Caroline Merritt