Cincinnati Steam

Kadish's Gem and Shaw's Homer Give Steam A Split

ADRIAN, Michigan— The Cincinnati Steam after a Loco night against the Lima Locos traveled up I-75 to Adrian College in Adrian, Michigan to take on the Lake Erie Monarchs in another double header. The Steam looked to jump back on the winning boat because Thursday night they lost two to the Lima Locos. The Lake Erie Monarchs (3-5) and the Steam (9-6) both travel to Adrian College. Ian Kadish (Marshall) climbs the mound for the Steam, he is 2-1 with a 2.45 ERA in 14.2 innings pitched against Joe Joblonski for the Monarchs, he is 1-0 with a 2.57 ERA in 7.0 innings pitched for the first game of the double header. The first pitch of for the first match-up was thrown at 3:00 p.m.

Ian Kadish (Marshall) pitched all seven innings as the Steam beat the Lake Erie Monarchs, 2-0. The only guy who seemed to be able to solve Kadish all day was Kolbrin Vitek who had two hits in three at bats with two singles but he was stranded both times as Kadish kept them off the scoreboard.

Drew Schmidt (Xavier) notched the first hit for the Steam in the 2^nd inning with a single to left field off of Jablonski. Jon Edgington (Miami) came back in the fourth with a single over the third basemen but both runners were stranded on the base paths as the Steam seemed to be stuck in the same slump they showed at home against the Locos.

Ryan Clark for the Monarchs reached on a single to left center but did not hurt the Steam as Kadish got the next hitter, Zach Dygert grounded to Brad Gschwind (Miami) who started the 6-4-3 double play with a flip to Edgington and then a toss from Edgington over to Travis Shaw (Kent State) at first.

The 6^th inning proved important for the Steam as Ryan Strausborger (Indiana State) reached on a singe to left center with one out. He stole second on Jablonski and was there until Edgington moved him over with a groundout to shortstop. Gschwind stepped to the plate but took a 2-0 foul ball off of his knee and fell to the ground. He was removed for Tim Issler (Ball State) who came up huge for the Steam with a bloop single to score Strausborger for the Steam’s first lead in three games.

The Monarchs came back in the bottom of the sixth with a single by Ross Brunello to center but Kadish kept him from scoring as well.

Travis Shaw stepped up in the top of the seventh with an insurance run as he put all his power into a deep fly to right centerfield for his first homerun of the season and gave the Steam a 2-0 lead.

Kadish came back out in the seventh and finished off a complete game gem. His final line was 7 innings, 6 strikeouts, 5 hits, 0 walks, and 0 runs.

WP- Ian Kadish (3-1)
LP- Joe Jablonski (1-1)

Player of the Game- Travis Shaw 1-2, HR, 1 RBI, 1 run, and a walk, Ian Kadish CG, 6 strikeouts, 5 hits, 0 walks, and 0 runs.

Game 2

Ben Thomas (Xavier) threw 4 2/3 innings and gave up 5 runs with only one being earned as he walked seven batters and gave up five hits. It was not Thomas’ day as he never looked comfortable on the mound and could not find the strike zone for much of his outing.

The Monarchs struck early with a run in the 3^rd. After getting the first two outs, Thomas gave up a double to Kolbrin Vitek and followed by giving up a single to right field to Matt Dittman that scored Vitek. Doug Schumacher walked but was caught stealing by Ryan Bellamy (Xavier).

The Steam showed some life in the fourth with an infield single to 1^st by Ryan Strausborger (Indiana State). Drew Schmidt (Xavier) followed with a sacrifice bunt to move Strausborger over to second with one out but it proved to be unimportant as Strausborger got caught stealing at third for the second out. Jon Edgington (Miami) grounded out to shortstop for the third out and the Steam’s chance as some runs was thwarted.

With 2 outs again in the 5^th, Thomas seemed to unravel. Vitek walked and stole a base on a blown pickoff attempt. Dittman hit a single to right field to score Vitek and the score was 2-0 in favor of Lake Erie. Schumacher reached on an error on Tim Issler in what would have been the third out. Ryan Clark walked after Schumacher and with the bases loaded the Steam went to the bullpen and called on Matt Weber (Findlay). Weber ran the count full on Zach Dygert before Dygert lined one down the third baseline past a diving Tim Issler (Ball State) for a double scoring all three Monarchs. Dallas Burke came up and singled to centerfield to score Dygert. Patrick Martin doubled to move Dygert to third but Kevin Gillespie couldn’t score either runner as he grounded out to shortstop.

In the seventh, Michael Schum (Wright State) came in and gave up a single to left to Clark and a single to right by Dygert. Schum got Burke to strikeout but gave up a single to centerfield by Martin for an RBI and scored Clark to give Schum his first run given up as a Steam player. Kevin Gillespie grounded out to Strausborger at short who took the ball to second himself and then threw over to first for a double play and the third out.

Thomas ended up giving up 5 runs on 5 hits with only one of the runs being earned to go along with one strikeout and seven walks in 4 2/3 innings. Weber came in and allowed one unearned run in 1/3 of an inning giving up three hits with no walks and no strikeouts. Cody Elliot (Ball State) came in relief for Weber and threw one inning of no run baseball, two strikeouts, and one hit. Michael Schum replaced Elliot and threw two innings giving one run on three hits with two strikeouts.

WP- Brian Koehl
LP- Ben Thomas

Player of the Game- Kolbrin Vitek 2-3 2 doubles, 2 walks, and one strikeout