Cincinnati Steam

Steam Salvage Split With Copperheads

Athens, OH – The Cincinnati Steam remained in first place on Sunday evening by splitting their doubleheader with the Southern Ohio Copperheads at Ohio University. The Steam were defeated in Game 1 by a score of 7-6 and got revenge in Game 2 defeating the Copperheads 4-2 in eight innings. With the game 2 victory the Steam raised their record to 10-4 on the season. After arriving back in Cincinnati at 2:30am Monday morning, Steam players had their first opportunity to meet this year’s crop of George Foster’s Competitive Cincinnati Reds Rookie Success League sponsored by the Reds Community Fund which is being held at the home of the Steam this summer.

Copperheads outlast the Steam in Game 1 of doubleheader

The Southern Ohio Copperheads defeated the Cincinnati Steam 7-6 in a game that saw a combined 13 runs, 17 hits, 6 errors, 5 hit batters and three wild pitches in game 1 of the Sunday doubleheader at Ohio University. In a see saw battle the Copperheads scored three in the bottom of the fifth inning to take the lead for good.

Cincinnati threatened in the top of the 2^nd when Brandon Besl reached on a throwing error by the Copperheads. Billy O’Conner ripped a one out double to left center, but both were stranded to end the inning.

The Copperheads scored once in the bottom of the 2^nd on a two out rally started with a bunt single. After the bunt single, a line drive to right put runners on 1^st and 2^nd. O’Gara nicked the next hitter to load the bases. Ninth place hitter Chris Jarrett laced a single to right scoring the runner from third for the Copperheads first run, but as the runner from second was racing for the plate, a perfect throw from right fielder Zach Hurley to Brad Gschwind at third was made to get the trail runner from first to nullify an additional run for Southern Ohio.

In the top of the third the Steam took the lead scoring 3 times off Copperheads starter Jon Durket. Jon Edgington lead off the inning with a base hit to center field. After a fly out by Nate Fields, Brad Gschwind got hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with one out. Tommy Nurre hit a comebacker that deflected off the pitcher to the Southern Ohio second baseman, who threw over to first for the second out of the inning. With runners on 2^nd and 3^rd and two out, Zach Hurley was the second Steam batter hit in the inning to load the bases for Brandon Besl. After a wild pitch scored Edgington from third and moved Gschwind and Hurley up to 2^nd and 3^rd respectively, Besl walked to load the bases again for Billy O’Conner. O’Conner laced a single to right scoring Gschwind and Hurley.

Southern Ohio cut the lead to one in the bottom of the third off a lead off home run to left by Jared Humphreys. Cincinnati increased its lead to 4-2 in the top of the fourth scoring with a walk to Ryan Strausborger who was sacrificed to second by Jon Edgington. A fly ball by Nate Fields moved Strausborger to third and he scored on a base hit by Brad Gschwind.

Southern Ohio tied it up in the bottom of the fourth off starter Joey O’Gara and reliever Jake Stapf. After a lead off strike out, the Copperheads put a runner on first with a base hit. The Steam recorded a second out with a fly out to left. With two outs and a runner on first, Southern Ohio hit a grounder to short. Chris Jarrett was ruled safe at first when Besl was pulled off first by Strausborger’s errant throw. With runners at first and second and two outs, Jarred Humpheys hit a seed up the middle that was knocked down by a diving Strausborger to load the bases with two outs. That was the last batter that O’Gara faced on the day. Jake Stapf came in and walked the first batter he faced to plate a run for the Copperheads. Southern Ohio tied it up on an error by catcher Billy O’Conner when he attempted to pick off the runner at third. After four innings of play the game was tied at four.

Cincinnati would not be held down, taking the lead again in the top of the fifth inning. Zach Hurley lead off the inning with a single that was misplayed by the Copperheads left fielder, allowing Hurley to go to second. Brandon Besl was hit by a pitch, the third hit batter of the game for the Steam. With runners on 1^st and 2^nd and no one out Billy O’Conner laid down a bunt to advance the runners to 2^nd and 3^rd. Steve Brown roped a single up the middle scoring Hurley and moving Besl to 3^rd. Ryan Strausborger hit a ball to short that should have been an inning ending double play, but the throw to second was not handled, thus allowing Besl to score. The Steam took the lead 6-4.

Southern Ohio took the lead 7-6 in the bottom of the fifth inning scoring three times off Jake Stapf. Stapf gave up a lead off double and, after a flyout, Stapf issued a walk to put runners on first and second with one out. A double to right center off the bat of John Hornke scored the first run, to cut the Steam lead to 6-5. With runners at 2^nd and 3^rd, Stapf threw a wild pitch to plate the tying run for the Copperheads. Still with one out and a runner on third, a ground out by Zach Keen plated the go ahead run.

The Steam threatened to tie the game back up in the top of the 6^th but a two out double by Zach Hurley was wasted. Reliever Joel Ernst entered the game in the bottom of the 6^th inning to hold the game at 7-6 Copperheads. Southern Ohio closer extraordinare, Chuck Boring came on to face the Steam in the top of the 7^th. Boring got Billy O’Conner at first after an attempted bunt for a hit. Boring induced Steve Brown to fly out to center for the second out and struck out Ryan Strausborger to end the game. The victory puts Southern Ohio to 6-2 on the season, dropping the Steam to 9-4.

Game 1
Teams             1 2 3 4 5 6 7     R   H   E
Steam             0 0 3 1 2 0 0     6    7 2
Copperheads    0 1 1  2 3 0 x     7   10    4

WP – Derek Hayden (1-0) LP – Stapf (0-1) Sv – Boring(4)

Steam Hitting Leaders: Gschwind 1-3 rbi run scored, Hurley 2-3 double 2 runs scored, O’Conner 2-3 2 rbi, S. Brown rbi, Strausborger rbi, Edgington 1-2 run scored

Copperheads Hitting Leaders: Humphreys 2-3 HR rbi run scored, Hornke 3-3 2 runs scored rbi, Mossbarger 1-3 rbi, Laboy 2 runs scored, Jarrett 1-3 rbi run scored

Records: Cincinnati Steam (9-4) Southern Ohio Copperheads (6-2)

Steam Outlast Copperheads in Extra Innings

The Cincinnati Steam trailed 1-0 until the top of the fourth inning when Steve Brown singled and Zach Hurley put the Steam ahead 2-1 with a blast to right, his second of the season. The score remained that way until the Copperheads tied it up in the bottom of the 7^th inning off closer Steve Matre. The Steam regained the lead in extra innings and Matt Winterhalter came on the get the save as the Steam defeated the Copperheads 4-2.

Southern Ohio took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the 2^nd inning scoring from second base on a wild pitch that catcher Ryan Bellamy couldn’t locate and a throw to pitcher Brian Sand that was covering the plate couldn’t handle. The Copperheads got back to back singles with two outs then John Hornke scored from second on the wildpitch.

Cincinnati took the lead in the top of the 4^th inning after a lead off walk by Steve Brown and a towering two run home run to right field by Zach Hurley. With a 2-1 lead in the top of the 6^th the Steam threatened with the tandem of Brown and Hurley reaching on back to back base hits with one out. After a strike out by Tommy Nurre, Brown and Hurley chalked up a double steal to advance to 2^nd and 3^rd in hopes Ryan Strausborger would increase the lead. Strausborger flew out to center to end the inning.

Southern Ohio threatened in the bottom of the 6^th off a lead off walk off Steam reliever Eric Braeckel. After two fly outs and a stolen base, Braeckel walks yet again another hitter. With first and second and two outs, Mike Korfhagen comes in to replace Braeckel. Korfhagen’s first pitch is mishandled by Bellamy which allows runners to advance to 2^nd and 3^rd. On the pitch Korfhagen is injured but continues and strikes out the hitter to end the inning.

Down to the Copperhead’s last out in the bottom of the 7^th, Zach Keen reached on a base hit and advanced to second on a strike out wildpitch to Jared Humphreys to put runners on first and second. An rbi base hit to left field by Kyle Mossbarger tied the game at 2 and the game would extend into extra innings.

Cincinnati plated the go ahead two and what proved to be the winning two in the top of the 8^th inning of Copperhead closer Chuck Boring. Jon Edgington walked and stole second, he moved to third on a groundout by Steve Brown. Zach Hurley was intentionally walked and Tommy Nurre was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Ryan Strausborger who already has one grand slam this season for the Steam. Strausborger struck out to bring up Ryan Bellamy. With two out and the bases loaded, Boring thought he might get out of this jam, he induced Bellamy to hit a grounder to third that was booted allowing two runners to score and that was all the Steam needed as Matt Winterhalter came in to slam the door in the bottom of the 8^th inning.

Next up for the Steam is a trip to Newark, Ohio Tuesday night, to face the Licking County Settlers at Don Edwards Park 7:00pm.

Game 2
Teams                1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8    R   H   E
Steam                0   0   0   2   0   0   0   2    4    6   1
Copperheads       0 1   0   0   0 0   1   0     2 6   1

WP – Matre(1-0) LP – Boring(0-1) Sv – Winterhalter(1)

Steam Hitting Leaders: Hurley 2-3 HR 2 rbi 2 runs scored

Copperheads Hitting Leaders: Mossbarger 2-3

Records: Cincinnati Steam (10-4) Southern Ohio Copperheads (6-3)