Galion Graders 12, Grand Lake Mariners 3
GALION — On Sunday afternoon, the Galion Graders returned home to Heddleson Field in Heise Park still looking for their first victory of the summer in Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League action.
Following losses to the Grand Lake Mariners on both Friday and Saturday, the Graders took the field on Sunday, June 9 on a mission.
The offense would come alive for the home team, starting in the bottom of the first inning. After keeping the visitors off of the scoreboard to begin the game, Seamus Kenneally stepped in and ripped a lead-off single for Galion. Kenneally would be followed by singles from Andrew Sharp, DeVonte Washington and Austin Harper and when all was said and done in the first, the Graders had themselves a 2-0 lead. Both squads would go scoreless in the second while the Mariners were also kept off the board in the top of the third.
Sharp would get the rally going in the home half of the third with a double before scoring on a Washington single. Washington would not remain on the base path long as Harper plated him, as well as himself with a big, two-run home run to put Galion in the driver’s seat at 5-0. The trend would continue as both teams went quietly in the fourth and Grand Lake remaining shutout in the top of the fifth, sending Galion to the dish again.
Thomas Staab reached on a single and would be delivered across the plate on another Sharp double to put the Graders up 6-0. Sharp and Washington would score in the inning as well as Washington delivered a two-run shot over the wall to extend the Galion lead to 8-0 heading into the sixth. In the sixth, the Mariners would spoil the Galion shutout with a run and would follow that with another run in the seventh to put the score at 8-2. In the bottom of the seventh, the Graders would get a run back to put the score at 9-2.
Grand Lake would post their third run in the top of the eighth but Galion would proceed to stay hot at the plate as they scored three additional runs in the bottom of the frame to take the game to its eventual final score of 12-3. Steven D’Eusanio ripped a two-out solo shot and was followed by a single from Washington. Harper would blast his second long ball of the day to wrap the Graders’ offensive explosion.
Washington and Harper would both record four-hit games for Galion against Grand Lake pitching. Washington finished with three singles, a homer, three runs scored and four runs batted in while Harper ripped two home runs, two singles, scored twice and drove in six.
The Graders plated their 12 runs on 17 hits, stranded nine runners on the bases and committed two errors in the field. The Mariners scored three runs on six hits, left nine on and had one error. With the victory, Galion moves to 1-5 on the season while Grand Lake falls to 3-3 with the loss.
Offensive statistics for the Graders on Sunday were: Team- 17/41, 12R, 12RBI, 2BB, 5K; Kenneally- 1B; Staab- 1B, R; Sharp- 2-2B, 1B, 3R, RBI; D’Eusanio- 1B, HR, 3R, RBI; Nicholas Sykes- 1B and Ryan Strittmather- 1B.
Pitching stats for Galion: WP- Jarrett Miller- 6⅓IP, 3H, 2ER, 5BB, 4K; Gavin Lewis- 1⅔IP, 2H, ER, BB and Troy Vermillion- IP, H, 2BB.
The Graders are set to host their nemesis, the Lima Locos, on Tuesday and Wednesday at Heddleson Field before heading to Simmons Field for game three with the Locos on Thursday.
Grand Lake 9, Galion 4
CELINA — The Galion Graders headed to Celina on Saturday for game two of a series with the hosting Grand Lake Mariners.
Galion would come up on the wrong end of a 9-4 score to extend their season-opening losing streak to four games.
In Saturday’s contest, the Graders would be held to just four hits while the Mariners racked up a dozen knocks. Defensively, Galion would commit three errors on the night while the home team was spotless in the field of play. Additionally, the visitors stranded eight runners on the bases while Grand Lake left nine on.
Things got off to a promising start as Galion loaded the bases thanks to two walks and a hit by pitch that led to a Washington RBI putout. In the second, the Graders took a 2-0 lead after Sykes scored on a Strittmather sacrifice flyout. However, the Mariners scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead and would never look back.
Grand Lake struck again in a big way, plating six runs in the bottom of the fourth to conclude their offense. Galion scored twice in the top of the eighth but would be kept off of the scoreboard in the ninth to wrap the contest. In that eighth inning, Staab led-off with a solo homerun and would later be followed by a two-out triple from D’Eusanio. D’Eusanio would then score thanks to a double off of the bat of Harper but Galion would leave the bases loaded to end the game.
Offense for Galion: Team- 4/29, 4R, 4RBI, 5BB, 4K; Kenneally- R; Staab- HR, R, RBI; Washington- RBI; D’Eusanio- 3B, R; Harper- 2B, RBI; Sykes- 1B, R and Strittmather- RBI.
Pitching stats for the Graders on Saturday were: LP- Trey Bame- 3IP, 5H, 3ER, BB, 4K; Bryce Ray- 3IP, 7H, 6R, 4BB, 3K; Lewis- IP, K and Parker Brown- IP, K.
Grand Lake 9, Galion 3
GALION — On Friday evening, the Graders played their home opener in their series opener with the Mariners.
Scoring was scarce to start the game before Grand Lake plated two runs in the top of the third. In the home half, Galion scored a run to cut the lead in half before the next three innings saw both teams being blanked.
In the final third of the contest, the Mariners would score four in the seventh and three in the eighth while holding their hosts to just a pair of runs in the bottom of the eighth thanks to small-ball singles.
All seven of Galion’s hits on the night were singles with Staab leading the way with two to go along with a run scored. Sharp finished the contest with a single and a pair of runs batted in. Kenneally and Strittmather recorded a single and a run apiece while Washington drove in a run and knocked a single. D’Eusanio picked up the final single for the Graders in the loss. Galion walked three times in the contest while striking out 10 times.
Wyatt Smith started the game on the hill and went five innings, giving up five hits and two earned runs while walking a trio of Mariners hitters. Cody Gabriel was dealt the loss, going 1⅓ and giving up two hits and four earned runs while walking one. Jared Strickler tossed an inning of relief work, surrendering two hits, an earned run and a walk. Chase Jessee worked ⅓ of an inning, gave up a hit and two runs while walking a pair and fanning one. Galion High School alumni Garrett Kuns finished the contest, going 1⅓, striking out two Grand Lake hitters.
