By Eli Halverson | July 6, 2025

After escaping with a win in game two of the series against the Southern Ohio Copperheads, the Joes were back in action Sunday evening in Athens looking to take the rubber match and inch closer to the first-place Xenia Scouts.

It was yet another hot start for Hamilton in the first inning. With two outs, the Joes loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a hit batter. Then Miguel Correa came through once again. After a wild pitch scored the game’s first run, Correa ripped a two-run single to give the Joes an early 3-0 lead. He now leads the entire GLSCL with a remarkable 24 RBI’s on the season.

However, the lead didn’t last long. The Copperheads answered quickly, exploding for four runs in the bottom half of the inning. It began with an error and was followed by a two-run homer off the bat of Logan Martin. Later in the frame, a walk, a single, and another RBI single brought home two more, giving Southern Ohio a 4-3 lead through one.

The third inning brought no relief for Joes starter Jordan Taylor. The Copperheads added four more runs on four hits, aided by a backbreaking error from the usually reliable Joes outfield. Taylor exited having allowed just three earned runs, but yet Hamilton still trailed 8-3 heading into the fourth.

The Joes kept fighting. In the sixth, Jackson Wang stayed red-hot, launching his second home run of the season—a two-run shot to cut the deficit to 8-5. Wang finished the day 2-for-3 and now leads the team with a .359 batting average.

Reliever Evan Scott stepped up in a big way out of the bullpen, delivering his best outing of the season. He tossed 2.1 shutout innings without allowing a hit and kept the Joes within reach. Unfortunately, the Copperheads added some insurance in the seventh. After a couple of singles to start the inning, a double play gave the Joes hope, but a two-out single followed by a double brought in two more, stretching the lead to 10-5.

Hamilton managed one more run in the ninth on an RBI single from Jaxson Christ, but it wasn’t enough, and the Joes ultimately fell, 10-6.

While there were certainly some bright spots—like Scott’s strong outing, and Wang and Correa continuing to swing hot bats—this was a disappointing result. It’s far from a fatal blow to the Joes’ playoff hopes, but this was a very winnable series, and the road ahead only gets tougher.

Next up, Hamilton travels to face the Michigan Monarchs for a three-game series over two days. The Monarchs have struggled as of late, going just 3-7 in their last ten games. Game one is set for Tuesday night with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 PM.