by Geoff Roberts/Owens Sports Information
Toledo, Ohio---The Owens Community College baseball team got two Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC) wins on Saturday versus the Cuyahoga Community College Challengers.
The Express went down early in game one but chipped away at the lead and were able to win in walk-off fashion in extra innings. Owens controlled through game two and won by six.
Game 1: Owens 5 Tri-C 4
The game started in rough fashion for Express starter Blake Kuszmaul (Bryan/Bryan, Ohio) when Tri-C put up three runs courtesy of a leadoff double followed by a single and another double then two groundouts to Alec Skender (Metamora/Metamora, Ill.) at short. The Challengers scored again in the second inning to lead by four.
The Express were fairly quiet offensively until the fourth when Charlie Sipe (Northrop/Fort Wayne, Ind.) reached on a throwing error by second baseman Ben Szymcak. After a strikeout, Zach Kazmierski (Whitmer/Toledo, Ohio) hit a triple to bring Sipe in from first. Anthony Perez (Orrville/Orrville, Ohio) hit a seeing-eye single through the left side of the infield to plate Kazmierski later in the inning.
Owens was able to capitalize on a two-out error at first base in the next inning to tie the game at four. Skender started the two-out rally with a single through the middle of the infield. Sipe then hit a grounder that went under the first baseman's glove and kept the inning alive. Taran Temple (Delta/Muncie, Ind.) seized the moment and hit a double into right field that allowed both Skender and Sipe to score.
The game was still tied at four heading into the Express half of the seventh. Skender led off the inning with a hard hit ball to left field but the left fielder made a great jumping catch to retire him. Sipe then looked like he was making a bid for a double as the left fielder and center fielder appeared to lose the ball in the sun but the left fielder managed to make the catch. Temple hit the ball hard but right at the shortstop who made the catch to end the inning.
Dru Sebastian (Blackhawk Christian/Fort Wayne, Ind.) came in to pitch in the eighth for Owens and got Tri-C in order to retire the side.
Kazmierski drew a walk to start the bottom of the eighth. The next batter, Austin Legate (Strongsville/Strongsville, Ohio), drew two wild pitches that put Kazmierski at third with no one out.
Legate then became the hero of the day with a single past a pinched-in infield.
Sebastian picked up the win for Owens and is now 3-3 on the year.
Game 2: Owens 7 Tri-C 1
Tri-C once again grabbed the first run of the game but this time it came in the third inning.
The Express answered right away after Michael Finch (Norwalk/Norwalk, Ohio) hit a leadoff single. Tyler Byerly (Washington Township/Crown Point, Ind.) came up after Finch looking to bunt. He dropped it down to the left side but the third baseman couldn't handle the barehanded fielding attempt and Byerly reached. Finch alertly moved up to third with no one covering the base.
Finch scored on a fielder's choice off the bat of Tiger Jaso (Lakota/Kansas, Ohio). Skender then hit a single through the middle on the next at-bat and Sipe followed with one of his own, scoring Jaso from third. Skender was able to score on the next play after a throwing error by the second baseman trying to turn a double play. The inning ended when Temple was thrown out at second trying to take the extra bag on the error.
Leading 3-1 entering the home half of the fourth, Owens extended the lead with a huge inning. Kazmierski led off the offense with a single just past short. Legate followed with a single to center. Marcus Rozsa (All Saints Secondary/Whitby, Ontario) intended to sacrifice bunt but the pitcher threw the ball away trying to get Rozsa at first, allowing Kazmierski to score and Legate to advance to third.
Finch then got hit by a pitch in the next at-bat, leaving the bases loaded with nobody out. Byerly hit a sacrifice fly to score Legate but Kody McCall (Edgewood/Trenton, Ohio), who courtesy ran for Rozsa, was thrown out trying to get back to second on the play.
The Express weren't done yet though. Jaso hit a single that advanced Finch to third and Jaso moved up to second after an error on the attempted throw-in. Skender followed with a two-run single that skipped off the diving shortstop and into shallow centerfield.
Kyle Bennett (Grove City/Grove City, Ohio) then shut down Tri-C the rest of the way to pick up the sweep.
Bennett picked up his team-leading fourth win of the season with the complete game. He allowed one run on six hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Skender came up big again for the Express at the dish. The freshman shortstop was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run.
Jaso also had a solid game offensively. He was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.
The Express are now 14-22 overall and 7-11 in OCCAC play, which puts them into a second place tie in the conference with Tri-C. They play another doubleheader tomorrow with Tri-C.
Notes
The Express have won their last four games. In those games, the Express have outscored opponents 26-14.
Sipe is now hitting .325 in conference play, which puts him ninth in hitting.
Bennett is 3-1 with a 1.29 ERA in conference play, which puts him second in wins and ERA in the conference.