FORT LORAMIE – The Greenville baseball team split a doubleheader at Fort Loramie on Saturday, losing 5-3 in the first game and then winning 6-5 in eight innings in the second game.
In the opening game of the doubleheader Greenville faced an early deficit as Fort Loramie scored three runs in the second inning.
Braun led off the inning with a single and stole second. After a sacrifice grounder, an errant throw to catch Braun at third allowed him to score and put Loramie up 1-0. Fort Loramie then had three consecutive hits with a single by Pleiman and back-to-back doubles by Kitzmiller and Billing to make it 3-0.
The following inning Fort Loramie added two more runs. Berning led off with a single, stole second and scored on a single by Rose. Rose went to second when Greenville threw home to try to get Berning out, went to third on an errant pickoff attempt and scored on a single by Braun to make it 5-0.
Greenville cut into its deficit in the fourth when Tanner Ross was hit by a pitch, Landon Eldridge reached on an error and Jason Shields reached on a fielder’s choice to load the bases. Karsyn Fender then walked to get the Green Wave on the scoreboard, and Nathaniel Ridgeway hit a sacrifice fly to make it 5-2.
The game’s final run came in the top of the fifth. Logan Eldridge got a two-out single, stole second and scored on a single by Ross.
Greenville had three hits and two errors in the opening game while Fort Loramie had eight hits and one error.
Ross was 1-for-3 with a RBI and a run. Logan Eldridge was 1-for-4 and scored a run. Brayden York was 1-for-3. Landon Eldridge also scored a run.
Peter Pandey pitched five innings and allowed five runs on eight hits, two walks and a hit batter. Brandon Beyke pitched a scoreless inning in relief, allowing no hits and two walks.
After losing game one, Greenville rebounded to win the second game.
The Green Wave struck first with five runs in the top of the third. Grant Minnich walked and advanced to second on a sacrifice by York. After Jacob Hounshell singled to put runners on the corners, Kyle Mills singled to get Greenville on the scoreboard. A Fort Loramie error also allowed Hounshell to score, making it 2-0.
Following a pop up for the second out of the inning, Greenville rallied with a run-scoring single by Tanner Ross. After Landon Eldridge was hit by a pitch and Shields singled to load the bases, Beyke walked to bring in a run. Landon Eldridge then scored on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.
Fort Loramie battled back, though, beginning with two runs in the bottom half of the inning. Hilgefort drew a two-out walk and Berning singled to start off the rally. Rose then hit a two-run double, cutting Greenville’s lead to 5-2.
In the fifth inning Fort Loramie’s Hilgefort singled to get his team’s offense going again. After advancing to second on a single by Rose and stealing second, Hilgefort scored on a sacrifice fly to cut Loramie’s deficit to 5-3.
Fort Loramie tied the game in the sixth inning. Rosengarten singled and Pleiman walked to start off the inning. After a sacrifice and a strikeout, Wehrman reached base on a two-out error that scored Rosengarten. Pleiman then scored on a passed ball, tying the game at 5-5.
After giving up five consecutive runs to Fort Loramie, Greenville bounced back in the eighth inning.
Landon Eldridge led off with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice by Shields. He then scored what proved to be the game-winning run on a double by Beyke to give Greenville the 6-5 victory.
Greenville had nine hits and five errors in game two. Fort Loramie had seven hits and two errors.
Hounshell went 2-for-3 and scored a run in game two. Ross went 2-for-4 with a run. Beyke was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBIs. Landon Eldridge was 1-for-3 with a double and two runs.
Mills went 1-for-4 with a RBI and a run. York was 1-for-3. Shields was 1-for-4. Minnich walked once and scored a run.
Ross pitched seven innings, allowing three earned runs and two unearned runs on seven hits, two walks and three strikeouts. Mills pitched one inning, allowing no runs on no hits, no walks and one strikeout.
With Saturday’s split, Greenville moved its season record to 11-16.
