On Thursday June 17th the Southern Ohio Copperheads took on the Muskingum Clippers for their first game of the series. With a broken down bus and a rain delay not even the force could save the Copperheads from a 0-13 loss on the Star Wars themed night.

Stepping up to the plate is John Gerfen, he gave the Copperheads a great start to the game by throwing a strikeout during the top of the first. 

The game quickly took a turn as the Clippers took the lead during the second inning, a hit-by-pitch and back to back singles allowed them to load their bases and secure 6 runs. 

Struggling to find their footing, the Copperheads went through three pitchers in the third inning: John Gerfen, Dylan Klein, and Thomas Adair. Capitalizing on walks, the Clippers took their lead even farther by now having a 9 run lead while still having 3 runners left on base. 

The Copperheads struggled at the plate. Haruta Endo, Billy Adams, and Nic Lembo all made contact with the ball but couldn’t get past the Clippers quick outfielders, and the team couldn’t string together consistent hits throughout the night. Lembo and Ronnie Rowley each notched singles in the fourth inning, and Brendan Willadsen and Derek Occhipinti added hits of their own later in the game, but the Copperheads were unable to bring runners home.

Brock Miller took over the mound during the sixth and put pressure on the Clippers, slowing their now 10 run lead. 

During the seventh and final inning the Clippers did not slow down, scoring 3 more runs making the final score 0-13.

Despite the Copperhead’s loss the ballpark was still packed with jedi battles, excited fans, and amazing plays. The Copperheads hope to turn the season around with more wins (and hopefully fewer broken down buses).