On Tuesday, July 1st, the Southern Ohio Copperheads hosted Xenia at Jurassic themed Bob Wren Stadium but ultimately came up short, falling 10–6.

Pitcher Tanner O’Farrell started the game strong for the Copperheads, throwing three strikeouts over the first two innings and keeping Xenia scoreless early on. In the bottom of the second, the Copperheads loaded the bases during a series of walks, but left all three runners stranded.

Xenia broke the scoreless tie in the top of the third, putting their first run on the board. In the bottom, Haruta Endo, Billy Adams, Brendan Wilison, and Nic Lembo each hit singles but only Endo was able to make it to base.

Both teams added a run in the fourth inning. Jack Ferguson and Will Heisler hit back-to-back doubles, while Tylan Graves and Frankie Clark added some singles to the night. The Copperheads were catching up at 2–1.

The fifth and sixth innings saw little movement on the scoreboard, as both teams’ defenses held firm. O’Farrell and reliever Zane Loveday combined for multiple strikeouts, and strong plays from the outfield kept Xenia from getting any runs.

However, Xenia turned up the heat in the late innings, scoring three runs in the seventh and adding another in the eighth to build a 6–1 lead. They took full advantage of a defensive error in the ninth, tacking on three more runs to extend their lead to 10–3.

The Copperheads mounted a spirited comeback in their final two at-bats. Jack Ferguson continued his big night with two doubles, and Will Heisler, Alex Taylor, and Nate Koster added singles to the mix. Southern Ohio pushed across two more late runs but ultimately couldn’t close the gap, leaving the final score at 10-6.

The Copperheads will play Xenia again at their home field on Wednesday July, 2nd!