Special Weather Statement issued March 19 at 4:28AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
Gusty winds from 35 to 40 mph this afternoon could blow around unsecured items. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor items.
Special Weather Statement issued March 19 at 4:15AM EDT by NWS Wilmington OH (details ...)
Gusty winds from 35 to 40 mph this afternoon could blow around unsecured items. Use extra caution when driving, especially if operating a high profile vehicle. Secure outdoor items.
Today 37° Today 37° chance 25° 25° scattered Tomorrow 52° Tomorrow 52° 33° 33°
Thursday, July 5th, 2007

Indians earn tickets to District ACME

Tribe fights back to earn district ticket

By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Mark Pummell/The Daily Standard

Nathan Keller's single in the fourth scored the game-winner as Fort Recovery beat Parkway 6-3 on Wednesday.

ST. HENRY - Things looked bleak for the Fort Recovery Indians after the first inning of the consolation bracket ACME tournament final at St. Henry on Wednesday.
Indians' starter Travis Hart allowed the first three batters to reach base without getting an out. By the time the inning ended, Parkway was up 3-0.
Fortunately, the teams played six more innings.
The Indians rebounded, tying the game in the third with three runs, taking the lead in the fourth and adding two insurance runs to eliminate the Panthers 6-3.
Fort Recovery (6-8), which entered the tournament 4-7 and the fifth seed, earned the second district qualifying spot and will play top-seeded Coldwater tonight at the Wally Post Athletic Complex at 6 p.m. for the district championship. Parkway, the second seed of the tournament, ends its season at 15-11.
"We've been up all tournament and let teams back in it," said Indians coach Jarret Tobin. "I knew if we'd get some guys on, we'd be able to put the ball into play. We've been getting big hits all week. We're rolling."
With pitching arms in dire need, Tobin called on a pair of guys with plenty of innings already in the tournament to get them through. After Hart walked Derik Snyder to load the bases, Bobby Rammel came from behind the plate to pitch. Rammel uncorked a wild pitch to score Mike Baldauf, gave up a sac fly to Jordan Thompson to score Jeremy Heiser and saw Levon Archer single in Snyder to make it 3-0.
But after that, he closed things down, allowing just one more hit over the next four innings before running out of innings due to the 10-inning over three days rule. Rammel retired nine straight at one point before giving up a fourth-inning single to Ethan Hayes. Rammel then only allowed one more batter to reach base before giving up the ball after the fifth inning.
"We didn't hit," said Parkway coach Josh Crouch. "We had mental mistakes. They scored three runs basically off an overthrown ball at second."
Meanwhile, the Indians worked to find runs off Panther starter Austin Art. In the third, the Fort found its break. With one out, Nathan Keller walked. Curt Heitkamp grounded back to Art, who looked to get Keller at second, but the throw was wild, leaving all hands safe. Frank Thien made it a costly mistake with a single to score Keller to break the shutout. After Tony Metzger bunted the runners up, Rammel cleared the bases with a double to tie the game.
"We didn't play ball," said Crouch. "We only had two, but when we had errors. it cost us."
In the fourth, Alex Gehle, Hart's defensive replacement, singled with one out. Greg Kahlig moved the runner up after Joel Henkle made a solid play at first to get the out. Keller stepped up and looped a single over the third base bag, allowing Gehle to score to break the tie.
Insurance came in the fifth. Thien reached first when Henkle was pulled off the bag on a throw. Metzger laid down his second straight bunt to move up the runner. Rammel was plunked by a pitch to put runners the corners. After Rammel stole second, Derek Koesters grounded deep into the gap at short, allowing Thien to score to make it 5-3.
Thien scored his third run of the game in the seventh, scoring on a wild pitch as part of ball four to Matt Braun.
Kahlig, who got the win in the Indians' 10-9 extra-inning win over Marion on Tuesday, came on in the sixth. Parkway had its last chance to get a run back after Archer and Hayes drew back-to-back walks with one out. Kahlig recovered to strike out Luginbill and get Henkle to fly out to center to end the threat.
In the seventh, it was nothing but heat coming from Kahlig's arm as he struck out the side - finishing with five punchouts - to send the Indians to its first ACME district in recent memory.
"Their arms are killing them, but they showed they had heart," Tobin said of Rammel and Kahlig. "They came out and dug down. They knew we could beat this team. We proved it with our bats. We played really good defense (no errors) and just played an all-around good game against a good team."
Tobin is happy that the team, which were district runners-up in the spring, is taking the next step.
"I think they're starting to believe they can play with any team around here. Earlier this summer we played Parkway (in a doubleheader) and lost 19-1, then came back to beat them 3-1," said Tobin. "It shows they can play with anyone."
Additional online stories on this date
ROCKFORD - An undisclosed individual from Dublin Township is in the process of purchasing and developing 70 acres of land on Rockford West Road, just outside the village, according to Village Administrator Jeff Long. [More]
Coldwater downs Parkway to stay perfect in tournament
ST. HENRY - The number one seed and regular season champion Coldwater Cavaliers qualified for the ACME district tournament Tuesday night as they defeated the Parkway Panthers 10-4 in the Mercer County sectional winners bracket championship at the Wally Post Athletic Complex. [More]
Subscriber and paid stories on this date
The Mercer County Jail was overbooked during the past weekend, with as many inmates housed at regional lockups as there were in the local jail.
She
Mercer County officials have scheduled their annual household hazardous waste pickup program for later this summer.
The household hazardous waste day is part of an overall program of increasing recycling and proper disposal efforts by county residents, county officials said.
WAPAKONETA - A Celina man faces at least five years in prison after pleading guilty to breaking into a St. Marys-area home and assaulting a man in January.
A Celina woman faces the likelihood of prison after pleading guilty to charges of burglary and theft during an appearance in Mercer County Common Pleas Court. Three co-defendants involved in the same incident are now serving three-year sentences.
Compiled by Gary R. Rasberry
Grand dropped to 9-11 on the Great Lakes season with a 5-3 loss to Licking County on Tuesday night at Denison University. The Settlers stay a game back of the Mariners in the league standings at 9-12.