Cotterman tosses no-hitter for Celina

CELINA - Austin Cotterman wore the jersey of Celina head coach Andy Mikesell.

And Cotterman delivered a performance that would have made Mikesell proud.

The incoming freshman - making just his third pitching appearance on the ACME stage - fired a no-hitter and had the walk-off two-run single in an 11-1, six-inning victory over Marion Local on Monday night at Montgomery Field.

It was the second no-hitter thrown by Cotterman during his baseball career. The right-hander had also recorded one last season while in eighth grade.

"My fastball and slider were working and I was backed by good defense," Cotterman said. "If I let them hit it, the defense was there to make plays."

Cotterman gave up an early run after hitting the leadoff batter. The Celina offense had all the offensive highlights the rest of the way and Cotterman was dominant. He finished with 12 strikeouts, one walk and hit four batters.

"He pitched a great game for a young kid," Celina coach Jimmy Luebke said. "He threw strikes. That's all you've got to do. He mixed it up a lot and kept guys off-balance."

"I can say this is the worst game we've played, but I think that was the best pitcher we've faced so far," Marion Local coach Glenn Griesdorn said. "We've been facing the three and four (pitchers) of everybody. We've got to get to the point where we want to face the other team's ace, but we've got to get a lot better than what we are."

Cotterman struck out three batters in the first inning but hit leadoff batter Kendall Bruns with a pitch. With a steal of second and two wild pitches, Bruns crossed home to give Marion Local a 1-0 lead.

Celina tied the game in the bottom half of the first. Nash Weimert singled with one out and then Bruns, on the bump for the Flyers, hit Kole Murlin with a pitch and walked Gabe Perry to load the bases. A passed ball allowed Weimert to score the tying run.

The Bulldogs built a three-run lead two at-bats later. Murlin was hit by a pitch for the second straight time to begin the inning and then Bransen Miller hit an RBI triple to left center. Perry hit a deep fly to the warning track on the next trip to the plate that was dropped by the center fielder, allowing Miller to score. Ethan Piper made it 4-1 with an RBI single.

Miller added an RBI single in the fourth, which scored Weimert after he had singled, stole second and moved to third on a fielder's choice by Murlin. Kyle Stein later made it 6-1 with a two-out RBI single.

Miller singled for his third hit of the game to lead off the sixth. He later scored on a fielder's choice by Reid Harter. A single by Kyle Stein and a wild pitch eventually moved Harter to score. He scored on a wild pitch by reliever Jon Schmitz. Weimert then had an RBI walk and Cotterman ended the game with a two-run single.

Miller went 3-for-4 with two RBIs and three runs scored for Celina. Stein went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Weimert added two hits.

Bruns took the loss for Marion Local, in allowing six runs (four earned) on seven hits while striking out four and walking two.

The Bulldogs are back in action on Wednesday at Coldwater.

The Flyers play at St. Henry on Wednesday.