OTTAWA – Legion rivals Findlay and Ottawa split a pair of games on Sunday afternoon with Ottawa taking the opener 8-1 and Findlay the nightcap 6-2.
The Fighting 63rd jumped on Post 3 starter Gunner Kepling (North Baltimore) for five runs on seven hits in the second inning to amass a 5-0 lead they would never relinquish.
Singles by Aiden Behrman (Patrick Henry) and Cade Price (Bath) kicked things off for Ottawa while the inning continued to see runners cross the plate thanks to a 2-RBI single by Carson Klausing (Kalida) and Logan Hudson’s (Patrick Henry) single that scored the final marker of the frame.
Pandora Gilboa speedster Isaac Stall led off the top of the third against Ottawa pitcher Caleb Niese (Miller City) with a single and was brought around the bases by teammate Jordan Vallejo of Carey before Vallejo was tossed out attempting to move to third on a wild pitch to end the threat.
Ottawa’s final three runs of the opening contest came in the fourth inning as three singles and an error on shortstop Gavin McClane (Tiffin Columbian) set up RBI opportunities for Hudson and Price to push the advantage to 8-1.
After five innings from their starter Niese, the 63rd opted for the final two innings to come from Behrman. For his part the Patrick Henry hurler was in control as he allowed just one hit and finished the seventh with a pair of strikeouts to secure the victory.
Caleb Niese (1-0) took the win for Ottawa as he surrendered one run on five hits while striking out three and walking four. Kepling (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he gave up eight runs on 13 hits while walking two and striking out four.
Logan Hudson, Drew Buss (Kalida), Evan Niese (Miller City), Behrman, and Price all had two hits for the hosts.
Game two saw the hot bats for Ottawa that had produced 30 runs in their first three contests of the weekend cooled off by Findlay starter Jordan Vallejo.
Ottawa jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom half of inning one against Vallejo on as an error and a single allowed Shep Halker (Columbus Grove) and Evan Niese to reach and later score. Unfortunately for the home team those runs would be all Vallejo would allow before exiting after the sixth.
Findlay pulled within 2-1 in the top of the second on an RBI ground out by Ashton Crawford (Liberty Benton) against Ottawa starter Drew Buss who would go on to toss four innings and surrender one run before heading to the bench.
Working against reliever Allen Minck (Wayne Trace/LaRoche University) the Post 3 bats found success in the fifth and six frames.
Isaac Stoner (Arcadia) led off the inning by reaching on an error and was brought around to score on a Ben Best (Findlay) RBI single to tie the score at 2-2 with one out. Vallejo was intentionally walked and given first base by Ottawa first year head coach Corbin Niese and came around to score to score alongside Best on a pair of errors and an RBI single from Liberty Benton’s Brady Birkemeier to send Findlay into the lead for the first time 4-2.
Ottawa’s best chance to tie the game came in the sixth inning after a pair of one out errors in the outfield and a single by Taylor Schroeder (Columbus Grove) but ended on a strikeout and a fly out by Vallejo in his last time on the mound for the day.
Findlay added a pair of runs in the sixth inning against Minck on an error, a pair of singles, and a bases loaded walk to Best for the final marks of a 6-2 victory.
Jordan Vallejo (1-0) hurled six strong innings of allowing two runs on five hits while striking out eight for the victory. Minck suffers his first loss of the season as he gave up five runs on four hits with a trio of walks.
Gavin McClane led Findlay with a pair of hits as he helped his team improve to 3-1 on the season. Next up for Post 3 is a return trip to Ottawa on Friday night at 7:30pm to battle the 63rd in the showcase game of the annual Tawa Run Classic.
Ottawa (3-2) sees their three game win streak come to an end and will next be in action on Monday night as they travel to Sidney and on Tuesday night when they return home for a 7pm tilt against the Napoleon River Bandits.
Tuesday’s game can be heard live on https://www.christiannetcast.com/listen/player.asp?station=zsportslive2