Picture credit to Brady Laber  

GLSCL South Division - Game 1

HAMILTON JOES  7  XENIA SCOUTS  0  -  FINAL

GRADY’S FIELD - The Hamilton Joes take a 1-0 advantage in the South Division playoff series with a convincing 7-0 win of the Xenia Scouts on Grady’s Field at Browne Stadium.

The Joes are one win away from punching its ticket into the championship series for the second straight season and the fourth time in the last five years.

Hamilton starting pitcher Marc Iozzo (Miami University) was the story pitching seven shutout innings giving up just three hits and one walk. Iozzo, who at one point retired ten straight Scouts batters, recorded five strikeouts on the night.

Iozzo is an infielder who decided to give pitching a chance this summer, has been outstanding in that new role. The Oak Brook, Illinois native had a 1.66 ERA in 21.2 innings of work in the regular season earning a spot in the GLSCL All-Star game. His seven innings of work on Monday was his high water mark of the season.

CLICK HERE to watch the postgame interview with Marc Iozzo.

The game started as a pitcher’s duel between Iozzo and Xenia starter Troy Lopez (Westmont College). Lopez was very good through the first five innings striking out seven Joes batters.

The Joes struck breaking the seal in the top of the sixth inning with some help from two costly errors by the Scouts.

Aidyn Coffey (Stony Brook University) lead off the inning reaching on a walk and then stealing second base. Mark Nowak (Northern Kentucky) laid down a bunt on sacrifice attempt but the ball was miss handled by Lopez allowing everyone to be safe on the fielding error. Jaxson Christ (Trevecca Nazarene) was hit by a pitch loading the bases.

Christopher Roa (Miami University) lifted a deep fly ball to left field that looked to be a routine sacrifice fly. Left fielder Danny Wallington (Grace Christian University) camped underneath the ball and somehow lost it allowing the ball to fall safe. Coffey scored the game’s first run on the play with the bases remaining loaded.

Jackson Wang (Wabash Valley College) smacked a two-run single extending the Joes lead to 3-0. Hamilton tacked on yet another run when Roa scored from third base on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Travis Yankovch (Lake Erie College).

After the long half inning, Iozzo came back out retiring the Scouts in order in the bottom of the sixth inning. Iozzo finished in the seventh inning stranding a runner at second base ending the inning and his night’s work on back-to-back strikeouts.

The Joes added three runs in the ninth inning putting the game out of reach.

After Dylan Kaiser pitched the eighth inning, Matty Helms (Wabash Valley College) came in to close it out. Helms retired the side in order securing the Joes victory.

The Xenia offense was stymied all night only generating four singles on the night. The Scouts only had two base runners advance past first base.

The series moves to Foundation Field on Tuesday with the Scouts needing a win to stave off elimination. The Joes, who are the defending GLSCL Champions, will be looking to punch its ticket into the Championship series versus the North Division series winner.

GLSCL North Division - Game 1

LIMA LOCOS  vs.  MICHIGAN MONARCHS  -  Postponed

SIMMONS FIELD - The opening game of the GLSCL North Division series between the Lima Locos and the Michigan Monarchs was rained out. 

The Lima area has received an usually large amount of rain over the last few days as Saturday night’s regular season finale was rained out as well after two different storms pelted the area.

The series will now begin in Michigan on Tuesday at Hillsdale College. First pitch is set to take place at Lenda and Glenda Hill Stadium at 7:05pm.

Game 2 is now set for Wednesday in Lima with the if necessary game to be played on Thursday also at Simmons Field.

ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE 

The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate, founded in 1987, is a wood-bat league that is certified by the NCAA and is partially funded by Major League Baseball. The GLSCL is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity that is one of 12 members of the National Alliance of Collegiate Summer Baseball (NACSB). The league currently consists of 8 active franchises in Ohio and Michigan boasting several players that have earned service time in major league baseball.