GREENVILLE – Greenville gave up just one hit as the Green Wave baseball team beat Marion Local 3-1 on Monday in Greenville.
Peter Pandey pitched the first 5 2/3 innings for Greenville, allowing one unearned run and one hit. Cameron Kaiser and Kyle Mills then finished off the game and helped hold Marion Local to a single hit the entire game.
“They had one hit today total, and it wasn’t a good hit either,” Greenville coach Eric Blumenstock said. “(Pandey) did very well, very well. Really impressed with him.”
Marion Local got a runner on in the first inning from a Greenville error and a runner in the second from a hit batter, but the Wave managed to keep the Flyers scoreless.
In the bottom of the second Greenville scored the game’s first runs with three hits, none of which left the infield.
Tyler Beyke started the rally with a one-out infield single and then stole second. He scored when Pandey reached on a two-out infield single, putting Greenville up 1-0.
After a walk to Landon Eldridge, Brandon Beyke got the Wave’s third infield single of the inning and drove in Pandey for a 2-0 lead.
“They’re fast,” Blumenstock said of his team’s ability to leg out infield hits. “The whole team’s fast. I think there’s only about maybe one or two guys on the team I’d ever pinch run for. I usually don’t because they’re good instinctive base runners. We’re quick. It’s hard to get an out on us.”
Pandey set Marion Local down in order in both the third and fourth innings before running into trouble in the fifth. After giving up back-to-back walks to Nate Moeller and Jared Bergman, Trent Bohman laid down a sacrifice bunt to put both runners in scoring position.
Pandey got a strikeout for the second out of the inning, but then a Greenville error allowed Moeller to score and reduce Greenville’s advantage to 2-1.
Greenville increased its lead back to two runs in the bottom half of the inning.
Logan Eldridge led off the home half of the inning by reaching base on an error and then stealing second base. He advanced to third on a single by Kyle Mills and scored on an infield single by Jason Shields, putting the Wave up 3-1.
Greenville had a chance to do further damage in the inning but ended up leaving the bases loaded.
“We didn’t hit like we have been,” Blumenstock said. “I think we left 11 guys on base tonight and hit under .200 with runners in scoring position so that’s going to hurt against a real good team. We did have the guys on base, but we just didn’t do the job getting them driven in.”
Duane Leugers broke up Pandey’s no-hitter to lead off the top half of the sixth inning. Cole Unrast then walked, putting two Flyers on base with no outs.
Pandey was able to get a strikeout and induce a fielder’s choice ground out for the first two outs of the inning. Kaiser then came in to relive Pandey on the mound and got a fly out to end the Marion Local scoring threat.
Mills pitched the final inning for the Wave, walking one and getting the save in the 3-1 Greenville victory.
Pandey led Greenville at the plate by going 2-for-3 with a RBI. Brandon Beyke was 1-for-2, walked once, was hit by a pitch and drove in a run. Landon Eldridge was 1-for-3 with a walk and a double. Shields was 1-for-2 with a walk and a RBI.
Greenville improved to 2-0 on the season with the win. The Wave will play host to Wayne on Tuesday.
