Hamilton Joes 8, Galion Graders 1
HAMILTON — The weekend concluded for the Galion Graders on Sunday, June 23 as they were back at Foundation Field in Hamilton, Ohio for game two of their series with the hosting Hamilton Joes.
Woes would continue for the Graders as they dropped their fifth consecutive contest; 8-1. With the loss, Galion falls to 3-12 overall on the season while Hamilton ups their record to 11-5 atop the South Division of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League.
The Joes would strike first, plating a run in the bottom of the second before adding two runs apiece in both the fourth and fifth innings to take a 5-0 lead into the top of the sixth. In that sixth, Galion scored their lone run of the contest thanks to the lead-off single from Steven D’Eusanio. DeVonte Washington followed D’Eusanio with a double to put runners at the corners before Sean McLaughlin drove in D’Eusanio on an RBI single.
Hamilton would get that run back in the bottom of the sixth and tack on two additional insurance runs in the home half of the seventh to put the game away at 8-1.
The Graders posted 10 hits in the contest but stranded eight runners on the base path. The Joes needed just eight hits to score their eight runs in the win, stranding six on the bases in the process.
Galion product Garrett Kuns got the nod as the starter and would be dealt the loss on the day, going five innings and allowing four hits and five earned runs while walking three and striking out three. Jared Strickler tossed the next ⅔ of an inning for the Graders, surrendering two hits and an earned run while fanning one. Creek Miller got an inning of work for the contest, giving up a pair of hits and a pair of earned runs, walked two and struck out one. Parker Brown closed out the game for the visitors, going 1⅓ and recorded two strikeouts.
Offensively, Washington and Ryan Strittmather recorded multi-hit games for game as Washington delivered a single and a double with Strittmather contributing two singles and a stolen base.
Other offense for the Graders came from: Luke Correia- 1B; D’Eusanio- 1B, R; McLaughlin- 1B, RBI; Andrew Sharp- 1B; Nicholas Sykes- 1B and Austin Harper- 2B.
Galion hit the road to Cincinnati to clash with the hosting Steam at McLeary Field on Tuesday and again on Wednesday before returning home for a seven-game homestand that starts with a two-game series against the Southern Ohio Copperheads on Thursday and Friday.
Hamilton 9, Galion 4
HAMILTON — On Saturday evening, the Graders and the Joes opened their series with Hamilton coming out on top by a final tally of 9-4.
The home team wasted no time getting their offense going, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first after keeping the Graders off the scoreboard to begin the game. Following a run from Galion in the top of the third, Hamilton would strike again for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth to take the score to 5-1.
That lead would stretch to 7-1 heading into the top of the seventh, an inning in which the Graders scored a pair to trim their deficit. However, the Joes offense could not be tamed and after Galion scored their final run in the top of the eighth, Hamilton plated a pair in the home half to take the game to its eventual final score.
The Graders scored their four runs on six hits, left five on base and committed just one error in the field for the game while the Joes plated nine runs on 13 hits, stranded 13 and also had an error defensively.
Christopher Punka would take the loss on the mound for Galion, working 2⅔ innings after relieving starter Wyatt Smith. Punka gave up six hits and four earned runs while recording three walks and two strikeouts.
Offensive statistics for the visitors in the loss were: Bryce Ray- 1B, R, RBI, SB; Washington- 2-1B, R, RBI; McLaughlin- 1B; Correia- R, RBI; Strittmather- R, SB and D’Eusanio- 1B, 3B, RBI.
Additional pitching stats from Saturday: Smith- 3IP, 3H, 3R(E), 3BB, K; Troy Vermillion- 1⅓IP, H, 2K; Gavin Lewis- ⅔IP, 2H, 2ER, 2BB and Trey Bame- ⅓IP, H, K.
Xenia Scouts 5, Galion Graders 1; Xenia 2, Galion 1
GALION — Due to weather washing out the first game of their series, the Galion Graders welcomed the Xenia Scouts to Heddleson Field in Heise Park for a doubleheader on Friday, June 21.
Xenia would go on to sweep the double-dip, downing Galion in game one by a score of 5-1 and game two by a 2-1 final. As a reminder, doubleheader format in the GLSCL consists of two, seven inning games.
James Kontur would start the first game for the home team and took the loss following 5⅓ innings of work. Kontur gave up four hits and five earned runs while walking a pair and recording three strikeouts. Louis Lipthratt closed out game one with 1⅔ frames of shutout baseball, recording a strikeout in the process.
The Graders’ lone run came in the bottom of the fifth when Correia, who led-off the inning with a double, scored on a two-out double off the bat of Ray. For Xenia, they would score two in the third and three in the sixth in the victory.
Three of the five hits for Galion were doubles (Correia, Ray and McLaughlin) while Correia and Strittmather also recorded singles in the loss. Thomas Staab picked up a stolen base to round out the home team’s offense.
In game number two, the Scouts would take a 1-0 advantage after the first which would stand until the bottom of the third. In the home half of the third, Galion plated their only run thanks to Washington scoring on a D’Eusanio single. Xenia scored again in the top of the fifth to bring the contest to its eventual final.
For the game, the visitors scored their two runs on just three hits while stranding eight. Galion notched seven hits and left six on in the loss.
Chase Jessee relieved starter Jarrett Miller in the top of the fifth and finished out the inning with an unearned run and a walk to take the loss. Miller worked the first 4⅓, allowing all three hits, an earned run and four walks while fanning three Xenia hitters. Punka worked a scoreless inning and had a strikeout and Korren Thompson wrapped game two with an inning pitched, netting a pair of strikeout victims.
Sharp and JP Bitzenhofer earned a pair of hits apiece in game two as Sharp ripped two singles and Bitzenhofer recorded a single and a double.
Other offense in the defeat came from: Washington- 2B, R, 2SB; D’Eusanio- 1B, RBI; Harper- SB and Ray- 1B.
