Small moves added up to a solid win.
Riverside rallied for a 4-3 win over visiting Jackson Center in nonleague baseball action on Monday. It was also Senior Night for the club.
Five players were recognized in pregame ceremonies by coach Todd Guthrie. They were Gavin Orsborne, Brice Kauffman, Landon Purtee, Wyatt Leiss and Aiden Manning.
Purtee wound up being the winning pitcher, throwing six innings. He allowed two runs on four hits, with five walks and five strikeouts. Closing it out was freshman Brody Orsborne. Jackson Center got one run off of him on two hits, but he got three strikeouts.
The Pirates are now 7-10 on the year, and have won three of their last four.
Brody Orsborne had two RBIs, both on bunts, with one by Gavin Orsborne on a double, and one by Hayden McCully with a sacrifice fly.
“They played some of the best baseball offensively we’ve played this year,” said Coach Guthrie. “We got runners on. We moved them over with some bunts, (and) sac flies. Brody Orsborne really laid down a beautiful bunt to bring in the tying run (in the fourth), and the sac fly (by McCully) to get us up on top. They did the little things tonight that they’re supposed to do. And all year long, we’ve been preaching to these kids — do the small things and the games will start dropping into the win column. And they did tonight.”
Blake Noble was the losing pitcher, allowing three hits, with four walks and four strikeouts. Noble also drove in a pair, and Ian Stengel had a double.
Jackson Center went in order in their first at-bat. Riverside got Crouch and Gavin Orsborne aboard with walks, but the Tigers turned a double play to get out of it.
Purtee retired the first two batters in the second on fly balls to center. He then issued three walks, before wriggling out by getting Kaiden Guey to hit a grounder to third. The Pirates went 1-2-3 in the bottom half to continue the stalemate.
In the top of the third, Stengel belted a double that bounced at the foot of the left-field fence.. After a strikeout, Preston Serr drew a walk. Noble flew out to center, with Serr moving to third. A wild pitch then allowed him to shoot down the line. Purtee gave up another hit, but no further damage.
In the top of the fourth, it was the Pirates’ turn to flash the leather. Brendan Serr led off with a single. Purtee got Anderson Park looking at strike three. Guey then sent a bouncer to Gavin Orsborne at second. He flipped it to his younger brother at short, and it was fired over to McCully at first for the double play.
With one out in the home half, Gavin Orsborne got the team’s first hit, through the middle of the Tigers’ defense. Manning smacked a liner into left, moving Orsborne to third. Brody Orsborne then put down a sacrifice bunt, bringing in Gavin to tie it.
Jackson Center answered in the fifth. Eli Prenger got a one-out walk, went to second on a groundout, then came around on a single by Noble.
It stayed 2-1 until the bottom of the sixth. Purtee was plunked on the shoulder by a pitch, and Cooper Crouch followed with a base on balls. Gavin Orsborne doubled to center, bringing Purtee across and and putting Crouch on the doorstep at third.
Manning grounded to third, with Crouch forced to hold in place. A perfectly placed suicide squeeze bunt by Brody Orsborne saw the defense unable to get either him or Crouch. McCully sent one to center. It was caught, but deep enough to see Gavin Orsborne tag and score.
That extra run would prove very vital.
Brody Orsborne took the mound for the seventh. He got Geuy and then Stengel both looking at strike three. Prenger singled to center, then Preston Serr reached on a dribbler that got mishandled.
Noble popped one that managed to find a spot on the grass in shallow right-center. Prenger hustled around to make it a one-run game. Orsborne bore down and got Dane Reese on a swing and miss to end it.
Heading into the homestretch, Guthrie said, “It’s a big week for us, especially in conference play. We’re working on adding some wins and seeing if we can improve that seeding for the sectional tournament. We would like to make a little run this year. We’d like to get to the districts or beyond. We’re getting better each game and tonight proved that.”
Riverside (2-8 TRC, 7-10) is scheduled to face Troy Christian on the road today. They then have games on Thursday (at Lehman Catholic), Friday (Miami East) and Saturday (Covington).
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In other baseball play on Monday:
Bellefontaine 12, Urbana 8
URBANA — Bellefontaine defeated Urbana in Central Buckeye Conference crossover action.
Spencer Stolly was the winning pitcher. He threw five innings, allowing two runs on three hits, with one walks and two strikeouts. Luke LeVan had two innings of relief. He gave up six runs, with five hits and two walks. LeVan struck out three.
Patrick Stolly had three hits and two RBIs, while Aven Caudill got two hits and drove in a pair. Sutton Daring had two hits and one RBI, Brody Boy drove in two and Spencer Stolly had one RBI.
The Chieftains jumped ahead with two in the first, five in the second and one in the third.
Urbana got two in the fourth, with Bellefontaine matching that in the fifth to lead 10-2.
The Hillclimbers scored once in the sixth. In the seventh, Bellefontaine put up two. Urbana rallied for five runs but could not get any closer.
Bellefontaine (3-6 CBC, 4-8 overall) will play Tecumseh today on the road.
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Benjamin Logan 10, Northwestern 6
SPRINGFIELD — Ben Logan downed Northwestern in CBC Mad River play, with the game going nine innings.
Jacob Hawley got the win with four innings of relief. He allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out four. Starter Bryden Morris gave up four runs on four hits, with two walks and nine Ks.
Ben Logan scored four runs in the second inning. Northwestern then got two in the third, and one each in the fourth and fifth to draw even. The next three innings were scoreless.
The Raiders then erupted for six runs in the top of the ninth. The Warriors were able to get two, but were stopped after that.
Ben Logan drew 11 walks in the contest. Camden Spriggs had two hits. Carter Lyden got two RBIs, with one each for Soli Hughes, Parker Yelton, Hawley and Oliver Morse.
Ben Logan (6-4 CBC, 9-7 overall) hosts Northwestern on Wednesday.
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Graham 7, Indian Lake 1
ST. PARIS — Indian Lake fell to host Graham in a CBC Mad River contest.
The Lakers got their run in the first at-bat. That came on a groundout by Bryce Burton after a walk by Madden Lillard and single by Kolton Cummins, and a wild pitch where both advanced.
Graham scored three in the bottom of the first, then added two in the third and single runs in the fourth and fifth.
Tyler Tidwell had two hits and Cy Cummins one.
Lillard was the losing pitcher, allowing 10 hits over five innings, with two walks and five strikeouts. Cooper Hall retired three batters in the sixth.
Indian Lake (7-4 CBC, 8-6 overall) faces Graham again Wednesday on their home field.
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Northeastern 14, West Liberty-Salem 4
SPRINGFIELD — West Liberty-Salem lost to Northeastern in Ohio Heritage Conference North play. The game ended after five innings.
The Tigers had one in the second, one in the third and two in the fourth. The Jets got a pair in the first, second, and fifth, with the big outburst of eight runs in the fourth inning.
Starter Jake Evans lasted 3 1/3 innings, allowing nine runs with seven hits and four walks. He got three strikeouts. Brody Deam handled the rest, giving up five runs on five hits, with two walks and two strikeouts.
Evans and Dallas Koons had two hits each, and Isaac Sertell hit a triple. Driving in runs were Caleb Hershberger, Sertell and Koons.
The Tigers (7-2 OHC, 8-3 overall) and Northeastern are slated to meet again today.