Indian Lake had to work a little extra on Wednesday, and it paid off with a pair of Ws.
The Lakers hosted league and county rival Benjamin Logan, completing a game that had been suspended due to weather on Monday, then playing the regularly scheduled contest.
In that full game, Indian Lake pulled out a 2-1 win, with the winning run scoring in the bottom of the seventh.
The Lakers had gotten one in the second, but the Raiders squared it in the top of the third. Each team had chances after that, but it took until the final frame for matters to be settled.
Sophomore Jaxon Snipes got the win with a complete game, allowing just three hits and one walk. He set down six on strikes.
Kolton Cummins had two hits and drove in the first run. Freshman Chance Persinger had a pinch-hit double, and Bryce Burton was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to force home Persinger.
Indian Lake coach Ryan Lillard said, “That’s a lot of fun. The Logan County rivalry, we take a lot of pride in playing them and playing them well. And today it was our turn.”
Regarding contributions by young players, Lillard said, “At this point in the season, they’ve had a lot of experience so we put them in those situations, hoping they can be successful.”
Raiders freshman Adam Tinsman also went the distance, giving up a total of six hits. He walked three and struck out five. Soli Hughes got the RBI.
Ben Logan coach Jeremy Allen said, “We battled our tails off, but we just did not get the clutch hit when we needed. We had opportunities all night long to score and we just didn’t take advantage of it.”
As the regular season winds down, he said, “We gotta find our ‘go.’ we are in a little bit of a lull right now. So we’ll take (Thursday) off and come back Friday and get ready for the tournament run.”
Ben Logan left one man on in the top of the first, while Indian Lake went in order.
Snipes got a strikeout to start the second, then gave up a single by Parker Yelton to right. He was then able to get Tinsman to bounce one up the middle. It was fielded by second baseman Cooper Hall. He tossed to shortstop Madden Lillard for one, and the relay to Tyler Tidwell at first made it a double play.
Burton was hit a pitch and Cy Cummins walked in the home half. Lane Kipker dropped down a sac bunt, moving them to second and third. Cummins hit a sharp grounder to shortstop and beat the throw. Burton used the opportunity to race down the line and make it 1-0. A popup to short and a flyout to right kept it there.
Cayden Brown singled between short and third into shallow left. A sac bunt by Xavier Allen moved him to second and brought up the top of the order. Hughes knocked it up the middle. Brown scored to tie the game, with Hughes taking second on the play.
He got to third on another groundout, but Snipes retired the next man to get out of the inning. Indian Lake went 1-2-3 in the bottom half.
Burton lined a single to left to start the Lakers fourth. He would be awarded second on a balk, and got to third on an infield single, but was left aboard.
The pitchers moved quickly through the fifth and the top of the sixth innings. The Lakers got runners on in the bottom of the sixth with a hit batter and walk, but Tinsman got two outs in between those and another after the walk.
In the top of the seventh, Camden Spriggs got a walk on four straight pitches. Oliver Morse was put in to run. Bryden Morris flew out to left. Morse, who had threatened to run a couple of times, broke for second with Yelton at bat. A quick reaction and throw by freshman catcher Dawson Stevenson to Lillard cut him down. Yelton then grounded to second.
Tinsman retired the leadoff man for Indian Lake. Persinger battled to a 2-2 count, then ripped a double into the left field corner. Lillard was given an intentional walk. Brady Golliday, another youngster, went the opposite way, knocking a single to right field.
With the bases now loaded, Tinsman got Tidwell to swing at strike three. He went 3-0 on Burton. The next one came too far in, forcing in Persinger with the winning run.
Indian Lake (9-5 CBC, 10-7) is at Tecumseh on Friday, while Ben Logan (7-7 CBC, 10-10) hosts Johnathan Alder.
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In the completion of the suspended game, the teams were tied at 2 when play was stopped in the top of the fifth inning.
Indian Lake had scored two in the first, and Ben Logan drew even with two in the third.
The game resumed Wednesday, with one out and the Lakers having the bases loaded from two walks and a double.
Bryden Morris had started the game on Monday, but was replaced by Soli Hughes.
Madden Lillard quickly doubled to left, scoring Lane Kipker and Kolton Cummins. Ben Logan then turned a double play to prevent further damage.
Indian Lake loaded the bags again in the sixth, but was turned away.
In the bottom of the seventh, AJ Griffith reached on a dropped third strike with one out. Adam Tinsman singled, with Xavier Allen going in to run. Oliver Morse also got a hit to put the tying and winning runs on board.
Hughes hit one back to pitcher Tyler Tidwell, who threw it back to Cy Cummins at the plate for the force play. Carter Lyden then popped up to end the contest.
The four runs were all charged to Morris, who walked three and struck out nine. Hughes had three walks and three strikeouts.
Madden Lillard had started for the Lakers, pitching four innings. He allowed three hits, walked one and struck out five. Tidwell recorded four strikeouts.
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SOFTBALL
Indian Lake 6, Ben Logan 3
Over on the softball diamond, Indian Lake got a win over the Lady Raiders in conference play.
Bre Wisener got the victory with a complete game for the Lakers. She allowed six hits, walked one and struck out six.
Annie Rapp doubled, as did Mackenzie Dixon and Addison Stinemetz.
Two RBIs were provided by Stinemetz, with one apiece by Dixon, Rapp, Wisener, and Izzi Mackesy.
Taking the loss for Ben Logan was Adilynne Gregg, who surrendered eight hits. She got three strikeouts and had no walks.
At the plate, Rylan Norviel got two hits. Keeli Rostorfer, Chloe Crumm and Sidney Sallee each had a double. Driving in the runs were Skylar Miracle, Crumm and Norviel.
In the top of the first, Ben Logan struck first with a single by Norviel, then a double by Crumm.
Indian Lake answered in the home half. Kit Miller led off with a single, and moved to second on a groundout. Rapp got a hit to right, scoring Miller. She went to second on the throw. Wisener brought her around with a hit to left.
In the top of the third, Bryleigh Burnside walked, then stole second and third. A single by Miracle to left brought her in and tied the game at 2.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the fourth.
Rapp opened with a double to center. After a flyout, Abigail Elliott got a hit. When the dust settled, Rapp was at third and Elliott on second. Stinemetz then drove in both with a double to center.
An error by Ben Logan on a ball hit by Mackesy pushed the lead to 5-2. Mackesy would later score on a double from Dixon.
A double by Rostorfer and single by Norviel got one run back for Ben Logan, but that would be as close as it got.
Ben Logan is 10-4 in the CBC and 16-5 overall. Indian Lake improves to 8-6 in the conference and 13-8 overall.
Indian Lake will travel to Tecumseh on Friday, while Ben Logan will face Johnathan Alder.