Cincinnati Steam

Steam Bounce Back in Game Two
Steam Squandered a 5-0 Lead In Game One Loss

ANDERSON, Ind.—Cincinnati blew an early 5-0 lead by giving up six unanswered runs—including four in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game—in a nine-inning 6-5 loss to the Anderson Servants Sunday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader at Anderson University. The loss came in the first extra-inning game of the season (game scheduled for seven innings) for the Steam, who are now 6-6 all-time in extra frames.

Jeremy Hazan (Anderson), who had three hits on the day, knocked in the game-winning run for Anderson in the bottom of the ninth against Ryan Martin (Michigan State). Terrell Jones (Truett-McConnell) led off the inning with a single and advanced to second on a successful sacrifice by Tyler Langford (Emmanuel College). Martin (0-1) then intentionally walked Reed Spiteals (Bethel) to set up a possible double play, but Hazan gave the Servants a walk-off win, their third victory in the past five games against the Steam.

Ryan Strausborger (Indiana State) led the Steam by going 2-for-5 with a home run and two runs batted in. Ryan Bellamy (Xavier) also had two hits and two RBI (his first multi-hit game and first multi-RBI game of the year), and Redhawk players Jon Edgington and Brad Gschwind each singled twice and drew a walk.

Hazan, playing on the same field he played on during home contests in the spring season, led the Anderson attack with a 3-for-4 day at the plate, while Keith Haaff (Wabash Valley C.C.) was the only other Servants player with multiple hits. He went 2-for-3, scored a run, and was hit by a pitch.

Brian Sand (Cincinnati) started for the Steam and worked 6.1 innings, holding Anderson to just one run before running into trouble in the seventh inning. Michael Schum (Wright State) blew his first save of the year in the seventh, but did manage to leave three runners on base and prevent the winning run from crossing the plate.

Joey Gradney (Lakeland C.C.) lasted just 3.1 innings in the start for Anderson, giving up four earned runs on five hits. Ricky Parrish (Marian) relieved Gradney and yielded a run in the four-run Steam fourth inning, but Parrish, Kyle Cook (Purdue), and Adam Shiltz (Trine) were able to hold Cincinnati scoreless over the final four innings to claim the victory. Shiltz improved to 1-0 on the year after 2.0 shutout innings of relief.

The Steam jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning on a two-out home run by Strausborger. The home run gives Strausborger five for his Steam career, trailing only Reds draft pick Tommy Nurre (7) and current coach Brandon Besl (6) on the Steam all-time list.

Cincinnati plated four more runs in the next inning, knocking Gradney out of the game. Ben Thomas (Xavier) singled with one out and walks to Gschwind and Bobby Freking (Xavier) loaded the bases, prompting a pitching change. Cody Elliott (Ball State) drove in his first run since June 18 with a groundout to first, and Bellamy drove home Gschwind and Freking with single to make the score 4-0 in favor of Cincinnati. A base hit by J.R. Reynolds (Ohio) put runners on the corners with two out, and Strausborger followed with an RBI single to put the Steam up 5-0. The Steam missed an opportunity to plate more runs (runs they would need), however, as Edgington was picked off of first after opening the inning with a single.

The Steam failed to take advantage of two Anderson errors in the game. In the first, Drew Schmidt (Xavier) reached on an error and Edgington singled to put runners on first and second with one out, but Thomas grounded into a double play to end the inning. And in the seventh, Strausborger reached on an error to begin the frame, but was promptly picked off by Cook.

The Anderson seventh inning did not begin well for Sand, who walked leadoff batter Riley Diaz (Salve Regina). After a strikeout, Haaff and James Harding (Clearwater Christian) singled to load the bases. Andrew Elke (Phoenix College) singled to plate a run, and back-to-back walks to Jones and Langford forced in two runs to cut the Steam lead to 5-4. Spiteals followed with a ground ball to shortstop, but the Steam could not turn the double play, as Spiteals reached safely and Elke scored the tying run to send the game into extras.

Game Two (7 innings)

Two RBI from Schmidt and five shutout innings from starter Matt Weber (Findlay) paced the Steam (11-8) in a 3-0 win over the Servants in game two. Weber now has a 1.20 ERA in three starts this season, compared to a 7.36 ERA in three relief outings.

Weber (1-1) yielded five hits in the start while walking one and striking out one. He continues to display pinpoint command, having now walked only two batters in 18.2 innings after walking just 35 in 186.1 career innings for the University of Findlay (1.69 per nine innings). For some comparison, only six qualifying Major League pitchers (at least 1.0 IP per team game) walked fewer batters per nine innings last season: Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Dan Haren, James Shields, Mike Mussina, and Greg Maddux.

Andy Dietz (St. Catharine College) tossed a scoreless inning in his Steam debut, and Elliott closed the door in the seventh for his first career save.

Steve Barrington (Delta College; 0-3) struggled in the start for Anderson (6-12), walking five and giving up four hits and three runs in 3.2 innings. Ross Overstreet (Lincoln Trail) entered in relief and shut the Steam down on just one hit for the remainder of the game.

Schmidt collected both of his RBI on a two-out single in the fourth, and Edgington drove in the other Steam run with a bases-loaded walk. Trace Voshell (Ohio) walked twice and scored twice for Cincinnati.

Cincinnati plated the first run of the game in the third inning. Walks to Voshell and Schmidt sandwiched around a Strausborger single gave the Steam bases loaded with one out. Edgington walked to force in a run, but Barrington escaped further damage by striking out Kyle Bluestein (Jacksonville State) and retiring Gschwind on a groundout.

The Steam mounted a two-out rally in the fourth to score the final two runs of the game. T.J. Jones (Cincinnati) singled with two outs and stole second before walks to Voshell and Strausborger loaded the bases. Schmidt stepped to the plate and hit a clutch two-run single to put the Steam up 3-0.

Anderson left four runners on base in the first three innings but threatened only in the sixth after that. Dietz served up a leadoff double but stranded the runner at second by striking out Langford, inducing Spiteals to pop out, and getting Hazan to ground out to end the inning.

The Steam return to action Tuesday night for a 7:00 date with the Hamilton Joes at Foundation Field in Hamilton. Cincinnati next plays at home on Thursday, July 9 when they take on the Grand Lake Mariners in a 7:05 matchup.