Orioles Bad Start leads to Loss in Rivalry Game

Orioles Bad Start leads to Loss in Rivalry Game

Many baseball games, especially in high school baseball can be decided in the first inning. In most games, you can look back at a good or bad first inning that could be the reason for winning or losing. The Orioles called upon Senior Grant Sweeter to throw against Junior Troy Smith.

Coming off pitching against Canton and helping to get the win, Sweeter would start the first with a walk. Then four hits from Tea led to three runs scoring and a three to zero Tea lead. In the bottom of the first, Lennox got walks from Lackas, Sweeter and Raysby but Brock Stein would ground out to first to end the inning. Tea would come out hot still as they got two singles, one walk and one hit by pitch and scored three more runs. Leading six to zero, Devon Jongeling would be the new pitcher for Lennox. As for their offense, a ground out, strike out and fly out ended the second with no fight. In the top of the third, two fly outs and a ground out would make the third go by easy. Oldenkamp and Lackas got on by a hit by pitch and a walk. Then Leisinger’s strikeout and Sweeter’s fly out made two outs. Raysby and Stein both worked two out walks to score Lackas and make it six to one. Then Jongeling hit a ground ball to the pitcher who made a nice play to save a single and save two runs. In the top of the fourth, a walk and followed by a strikeout and a pick off made two outs. A ground out ended the inning. Two fly outs would make two outs, however Lackas would hit a double to left center and put a runner in scoring position. Then Oldenkamp flew out to end the inning.

In the top of the fifth, a single and a walk led to a run scoring and a seven to one Tea lead. In the bottom of the fifth, a single by Raysby was avoided with two strikeouts and a ground out. In the top of the sixth, three ground outs made the inning very easy for Jongeling. Into the bottom of the inning, two strikeouts, a walk and a ground out ended the inning with no runs. Into the seventh, Tea found some runs with a single, two walks and three hit by pitches to score 4 runs. Buckneberg came into pitch and back to back ground outs ended the inning. In the seventh, Oldenkamp’s walk, followed by Leisinger’s fielder’s choice and Sweeter reaching on error made one out and runners on second and first. Raysby’s walk loaded the bases and Stein’s fly out to right scored Leisinger and advanced Sweeter and Raysby up a base. Buckneberg came through with his first hit of the season and scored Sweeter. Kayl would end the game with a deep fly out to center.

The Orioles went out swinging and certainly battled in the last inning. The Orioles ended up losing eleven to three and they were out hit eight to three. Both teams had two errors. Tea then played Mount Vernon and lost twelve to one. That brought the Lennox vs Mt Vernon game.