By Drew Terhall

Dailyadvocate.com

VERSAILLES — After falling behind early and not being able to make a run, the Versailles baseball team kept their composure and scored four runs in the sixth inning to win 8-4 over Ansonia at home on April 15.

Versailles head coach Brad Koopman said the team already has played a few games like this. They have been down in games while the offense is trying to find their footing.

“One of the characteristics these guys have had so far this year is they haven’t given up. We were down four twice to Fort Loramie this weekend and battled back to tie the game or take the lead,” Koopman said. “There’s not a lot of quit in them. They figure a way to scrap and fight for it, whether it’s beating a ball out or changing their approach to the at bat and making the adjustment.”

Ansonia came into the game last playing on April 6 against Fort Recovery. Ansonia head coach Dustin Hecht said they have even been able to practice outside since then with all of the rain these last few weeks. Hecht felt like they were a few plays away from it being a different game.

“Coming out and competing with a really good Versailles team, really happy with where we were. Couple of plays here and there, could have been a different ball game for us,” Hecht said. “But, we came out and competed. That’s exactly what I wanted to see us do today.”

Ansonia went up 1-0 in the first inning after senior Nick Burns walked and a few errors by Versailles moved him around the diamond to score.

Junior Jace Watren tied the game at 1-1 in the second inning with a RBI double.

Ansonia responded in the third inning with two runs. Senior Trevor Hemmerich and freshman Lander Shives both drove in a run to take a 3-1 lead.

Versailles had a chance to answer back and maybe take a lead in the bottom of the third as they had bases loaded with two outs.

Senior Lane Bergman walked to drive in one run. Ansonia was able to get themselves out of the jam and keep their lead.

The Ansonia defense made play after play to keep Versailles not only off the scoreboard, but off the base pads.

Hecht said the coaches have encouraged the team to be aggressive on defense and try to make that dive for the out. After the Watren double, outfielders like junior Asher Shives, sophomore Cainan Robinson and seniors Keegen Weiss and Landyn Bowman all left their feet to get that ball and get the out.

Hecht said he was proud to see his team make that effort to go after the ball.

“We’ve been on them for a little while like, ‘Hey, pin your ears back and go after a ball.’ Let’s try and make some plays. We played a little conservative sometimes and scared to make a mistake. We’ve been telling them to go out and try to make that play,” Hecht said.

Junior Darby Gilland hit a RBI single in the top of the fifth to make it a 4-2 game. After that half inning, Versailles made their comeback.

With two outs, Bergman was able to hit one over the outfielder’s head and drove in two runs on a double.

The batters started to find their groove as the pitching staff and the Versailles defense kept them in the game.

Ansonia only scored one run after the first three innings. Koopman said all you can do as a coach is ask your pitchers to give them a chance to win. Versailles did just that in this game.

“You know your pitchers aren’t going to go out and dominate every game. It would be awesome if they did, but there’s going to be times you got to go out there and compete your butt off. Give yourself a chance to win,” Koopman said.

In the bottom of the sixth, Versailles had bases loaded with two outs. Senior Joel Gehret ripped one deep into center field to drive in all three base runners for a three-run double. Junior Chase Monnin drove in Gehret to go up 8-4 heading into the seventh inning.

Ansonia did all they could to get back into the lead. They had bases loaded with one out. With Bergman on the mound, he was able to get the final two outs without allowing a run to score.

For Ansonia, Hemmerich pitched five innings and had two strikeouts. Gilland pitched one inning and had two strikeouts.

For Versailles, junior Ross Francis pitched three innings and had five strikeouts. Sophomore Owen Mendenhall had four strikeouts in 2.1 innings of work and Bergman had a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings of work.

Versailles is now 7-3 on the season. They will be at Minster on April 16 for a 5 p.m. first pitch.

Ansonia is 3-5 on the season with a 2-1 WOAC record. They will be at Newton on April 16 at 5 p.m.

Contact Daily Advocate sports editor Drew Terhall at [email protected].