GREENVILLE – The Greenville varsity baseball team use a seven run fourth inning to run rule the Sidney Yellow Jackets 15-5 and battled back in the nightcap to defeat Sidney 10-7 in extra innings after trailing 7-0 after five innings of play to win five of their last six games.
“We weren’t expecting to play a double header tonight,” said Greenville coach Eric Blumenstock. “Got a last minute phone call and wanted to get both of them in because of the incoming weather tomorrow. You never know what is going to happen this time of year.”
“The second game we came out flat,” Blumenstock noted. “We were down 7-0 in the sixth, scored four runs in the sixth, three runs in the seventh and three runs in the eighth.”
The opening game had the Wave trailing Sidney 2-0 after two innings before Greenville plated two runs in the bottom of the third to even things up at 2-2 and go on to score seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to lead 9-2 with the Jackets coming to the plate in the top of the fifth.
Greenville grabbed a fourth inning lead to defeat Sidney 15-5 in the Monday night opener.
Down 2-0 after two, Tony Sells third inning two run single evened the score at 2-2.
The Green Wave cranked out seven fourth inning singles, a double and earned two walks with the big hits a two run double off the bat of senior Landon Eldridge and two run single from freshman Warren Hartzell giving the Wave a 9-2 lead after four.
Sidney added three runs in the top of the fifth for a 9-5 Wave lead but it was Greenville plating two runs in the fifth and four in the bottom of the sixth with a walk-off Sells RBI single to right scoring Tyler Beyke bringing game one to an early close.
Greenville outhit Sidney 18-5 to earn the win.
Warren Hartzell led the Wave going 3-4 with 6-RBIs and a run scored. Tony Sells went 3-5 with 3-RBIs and a run, and Landon Eldridge was 2-4 with a walk, 2-RBIs and 2-runs.
Grant Minnich was 2-2 with 3-walks and 4-runs scored, Terry Miller went 2-4 with 2-RBIs and a run, Tyler Beyke was 2-5 with a RBI and 3-runs, Ethan Saylor 1-3 with a RBI and a run and Reed Hanes went 2-3 on the night.
Hartzell earned the win for Greenville tossing 5.2 innings, allowing five hits and five runs while striking out four. Tytan Grote threw two-thirds of an inning in relief.
“First game Warren Hartzell threw a pretty good ballgame,” noted Blumenstock. “He ended up getting a pretty nice lead on them and run rule then in the first one.”
Trailing 7-0 in the nightcap, Greenville scored four runs in the seventh getting RBI singles of the bats of Terry Miller, Landon Eldridge, a Sidney error scoring Reed Hanes and a bases loaded RBI walk to Warren Hartzell.
Greenville plated three runs in the seventh sending the game to extra innings by way of a Hanes one out single, a Miller walk, a two run double to center off the bat of Eldridge and a two out RBI single to left scoring Eldridge with the tying run.
Playing as the visitors in game No. 2, Greenville took advantage of a Beyke walk, a Hartzell single to center, a dropped third strike to score a Wave run and a Miller two out two run single to left scoring Grote and courtesy runner Ethan Flannery for a 10-7 Greenville lead.
With Minnich on the mound and solid defensive play, Greenville set the Jackets down in order in the seventh and eighth innings to earn the GWOC Monday night sweep over Sydney.
Minnich was the pitcher of record for Greenville allowing two hits and no runs over four innings, striking out five and walking none in relief.
“Grant Minnich threw the last three innings of the game,” Blumenstock said. “Shut them down. Did an excellent job. He struck out five of the nine batters he faced – it was a great job.”
Terry Miller paced the Wave going 2-3 going 2-3 with a walk, 3-RBIs and 2 runs scored, Landon Eldridge went 2-4 with 2-walks, 3-RBIs and a run, and Tytan Grote was 1-3 with a RBI and 2-runs score.
Warren Hartzell was 1-3 with 2-walks and a RBI, Reed Hanes went 1-4 with a walk and 2-runs, Grant Minnich was 1-5 with a walk and a RBI and Tony Sells had 2-walks and a run.
“We played a double header and turned out pretty good,” Blumenstock stated. “Got two wins and it’s always nice to pick up a couple more GWOC North wins.”
With the wins, Greenville improves to 9-10 overall and 7-6 in GWOC play.
