Cincinnati Steam

Steam hold Servants to two hits in 10-1 season opening victory

Four Steam pitchers combined to hold Anderson to two hits and a run and Jon Edgington (Miami) went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double, two stolen bases, and five runs scored as the Steam defeated the Servants 10-1 Saturday night at Western Hills High School. It marked the fourth time in Steam history that they have held opponents to two or fewer hits. Two occurrences came in a nine-day span in 2007, when Cincinnati blanked Lake Erie 1-0 on June 16 on two hits and Stark County by the same score on June 24 on one hit, and the other instance came in a 3-1 win over Granville on July 23, 2006 (two hits).

Ben Thomas (Xavier) also had a perfect day at the plate, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a walk, a stolen base, and five runs batted in. Travis Shaw (Kent State) went 1-for-3 and scored three times.

Andrew Elke (Phoenix College) scored the only run for the Servants (0-1), walked three times, and made two diving catches in left field. James Harding (Clearwater Christian) and Terrell Jones (Truett McConnell) were the only two Anderson players to record a hit.

Joey O’Gara (Indiana) picked up the win in the start for the Steam (1-0), shutting out Anderson on one hit over 4.0 innings. He walked three and struck out three to improve to 1-0 on the season and 6-0 in his Steam career. Mike Jefferson (Louisiana Tech) followed with 3.0 innings of one-hit, one-run ball with four strikeouts. Reece Asbury (Miami) and Michael Schum (Wright State) each tossed a scoreless, hitless inning to close out the contest.

Pat Moran (St. Joseph’s College of Maine) took the loss for the Servants. He worked 4.0 innings, giving up five runs (two earned) on six hits. Moran (0-1) struck out two and issued two walks, uncharacteristic of a pitcher who walked just six batters in 66.2 innings during the college season.

The Steam picked up right where they left off in 2008 in the first inning against the Servants. After O’Gara retired the Servants on nine pitches in the top half of the inning, Edgington got the Steam started with a one-out single through the right side. Shaw followed with a fly ball that Anderson right fielder Nick Caparell (Worcester State) dropped for an error, giving the Steam runners on second and third. Moran then issued a walk to Kyle Bluestein (Jacksonville State) to load the bases. After Moran balked home Edgington, Thomas followed with a bloop single to left to make the score 2-0 in favor of the Steam.

Cincinnati benefited from two Anderson miscues in the third to plate two more runs. Edgington led off with his second hit of the game and advanced to third on a hit-and-run single by Shaw. One out later, Thomas walked after his at bat was prolonged when Anderson catcher Anthony Lymberopoulos (Navarro College) dropped a foul popup. Bobby Freking (Xavier) then hit a double play ground ball to second that was booted for an error, allowing Edgington to score and keeping the bases loaded. Brad Gschwind (Miami) followed with a sacrifice fly to left to plate Shaw and put the Steam up by a 4-0 count.

O’Gara made quick work of the Servants in his four innings, throwing just 50 pitches despite walking three batters. He benefited from a spectacular play by Gschwind at shortstop in the fourth. With a runner on first and two out, Tyler Langford (Emmanuel College) hit a line drive up the middle that tipped off the glove of O’Gara. Gschwind made a diving catch before the ball hit the ground and easily doubled the runner off of first base to end the inning.

Edgington continued his perfect day at the plate in the fourth with a home run to left to give the Steam a 5-0 lead. The home run was the first for Edgington as a member of the Steam (118 plate appearances).

In the fifth, Bluestein ripped a double just inside the left field line and scored when Thomas followed with a double of his own down the right field line. Thomas was stranded at second, however, when Servant pitcher Joseph Tarallo (New Jersey City) retired the next three batters on two ground outs and a fly out.

The Servants got on the board in the sixth inning. Jefferson struggled with command in his second inning of work, loading the bases with one out on two walks and a hit batter. Riley Diaz (Salve Regina) drove in a run with a check swing ground ball to the right side that Jefferson misplayed for an error. Jefferson then threw a pitch past catcher Ryan Bellamy (Xavier), but Bellamy recovered quickly and threw to Jefferson to nab the runner at the plate. Anderson coach Greg Lymberopoulos was unhappy with the call and was promptly ejected by the home plate umpire. Jefferson then struck out Langford to end the inning, with the score 6-1 in favor of the Steam.

The Steam blew the game open in the sixth. After Tarallo walked the bases loaded with one out, Bluestein drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Thomas followed with his third hit (and second double) of the day to plate two more runs, his third and fourth RBI of the game, to make the score 9-1.

Edgington scored his fifth run of the game on Thomas’s fifth RBI after doubling in the eighth.

Cincinnati improves to 7-2 all time against the Servants, including a 5-0 mark at home, where they have outscored Anderson 53-10.

The Steam are now 2-2 all-time in season openers and 3-1 all-time in home openers.

Cincinnati returns to action Sunday afternoon with a 1:00 doubleheader at Licking County. The Steam next play at home on Tuesday, June 16 against the Lima Locos. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.