Cincinnati Steam

Five Miscues Doom the Steam
Settlers Comeback to Defeat Steam 5-4 in 11

Cincinnati, OH – Was there a full moon, blue moon, bad karma or was it just one of those nights. In this instance for the Cincinnati Steam it was something that happens hopefully only once a season when the defense just broke down on this evening and cost Cincinnati a chance to move one step closer to clinching the regular season league title. A Steam defense that has lead the league most of this season committed a season high five errors as the wheels fell off in the late innings and Licking County capitalized on Cincinnati’s miscues. With the loss the Steam fall to 25-9 overall, still good enough for first place by five games over second place Stark County Terriers who have been and will remain idle until Sunday. Cincinnati has six games remaining, one this evening versus Grand Lake and will finish next week at Lima on Sunday and at Delaware on Tuesday before returning home with a three game season finale Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at Western Hills High School, game times 7:05pm. Friday night’s contest will be player recognition night along with Fan Appreciation night. That night’s contest is a rescheduled contest of the July 3 rainout versus the Anderson Servants.

Cincinnati took an early 4-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. With one out and no one on, Tommy Nurre got a basehit, went to second on a passed ball, Zach Hurley walked then Brandon Besl broke up the shutout by lacing a hit to right field scoring Nurre from second and moving Hurley to third to make it a 1-0 ball game. Strausborger reached out a looped one into left scoring Hurley to make it 2-0. After a ground out moved runners to second and third with two outs, Adam Eaton slapped a pitch into left field scoring Besl and Strausborger to make it 4-0.

Starter Charlie Leesman pitched well through six innings, facing only 20 of a possible 18 batters, walking one, hitting one and giving up two hits. But in the seventh, Leesman gave up two runs on three hits, compounded with the beginning of the Steam uncharacteristic defense. The wheels fell off in the eighth inning for Cincinnati. Jorge Marban came in with a 4-2 lead to preserve for Leesman and after hitting the first hitter and walking the second, a sacrifice bunt attempt by John McCambridge was fielded by Tommy Nurre and he first looked at third to get the lead runner but could not then attempted to go to first and threw a ball that short hopped second baseman Brad Gschwind that was covering and made an outstanding play to save runs by using every part of his upper body to knock down the throw. With bases loaded and no one out, Steve Rosado hit a grounder to third that Jake Brown came home with to get the lead runner, the throw to first to complete the double play drilled Rosado in the back, allowing Hazelbaker to score from second, on the play McCambridge advanced to third. With first and third, one out, Rosado attempted to steal second and was thrown out for the second out of the inning. After a walk to Jim Clayton, Marban was replaced by Ryan Kruzska. While Kruzska was facing pinch hitter Jared Hoying, Clayton stole second, catcher Billy O’Conner faked to second and had McCambridge picked off at third, the throw back to the plate was just off allowing the Settlers to tie up the ball game 4-4.

Cincinnati had opportunities in the seventh but into its fourth double play of the game. The eighth showed promise with a two out rally when Tommy Nurre doubled to left center, Licking County intentionally walked Zach Hurley, then Brandon Besl popped out for the end of the inning. The Steam went down 1-2-3 in the ninth. Joel Ernst came on in the tenth. Ernst recorded an out, hit a batter, gave up a hit then the Steam turned one of their two double plays for the game. The top of the eleventh proved to be the last and final in game when Kyle Klee scored from second on an overthrown pickoff attempt from catcher Billy O’Conner. This put the Settlers up 5-4, but the Steam would not go down without a fight. Nurre lead off with a single, followed by another single by Zach Hurley. Nate Fields was sent in to pinch run for Nurre. So with first and second and no one out, Brandon Besl laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt advancing the tying and game winning runs 90 feet. The Settlers intentionally walked Ryan Strausborger which proved to be the perfect move when Jake Brown hit into a game ending 6-4-3 double play, the Settlers sixth of the ball game.

Teams 123 456 789 10 11 R H E

Settlers 000 000 220 0 1 5 8 0

Steam 000 400 000 0 0 4 10 5

WP – Valencheck(1-0) LP – Ernst(1-1) Sv – Wackerman(4)

Steam Hitting Leaders: Nurre (3-5, double run scored), Hurley (2-3, run scored), Besl (rbi, run scored), Strausborger (rbi, run scored), Eaton (3-4, 2 rbi)

Settlers Hitting Leaders: Rosado (2-4, run scored), Klee (rbi, 2 runs scored), Buchholz (3-4, double, rbi)

Records: Cincinnati Steam (25-9) Licking County Settlers (16-16)