Tuesday, June 7th, 2022
Clutch when it counts
Celina stays perfect with shutout victory over Marion
By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Celina's RJ Muhlenkamp, right, throws to first base to complete the double play after forcing out Marion Local's Griffin Bruns (4) during Monday's ACME baseball game at Montgomery Field.
CELINA - Marion Local was able to get runners on base through the first few innings, but Celina wasn't letting them come home.
The Bulldogs survived as bases-loaded, no-out first inning with nary a scratch, forced the Flyers to strand 10 runners and picked up a 6-0 win in ACME baseball action at Montgomery Field on Monday night. The win moves the Bulldogs to 5-0 on the summer with the Flyers dropping to 0-3.
Marion, which lost to Celina 8-3 last Wednesday in the ACME opener, got out to an auspicious start as Drew Lause, Griffin Bruns and Parker Hess reached on consecutive walks issued by Wes Greber to start the game. Greber, a rising freshman, got a forceout at home for the first out, induced a pop fly for the second out and a groundout to RJ Muhlenkamp at second to end the inning with the sacks full of Flyers and no score.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Celina's Wes Greber pitches during Monday's ACME baseball game against Marion Local.
In the second inning, Ethan Heitkamp and Austin Niekamp hit back-to-back one-out singles, but Greber bowed his back again, getting the next two batters via groundout and strikeout looking to leave two more Marion runners stranded.
After allowing one Flyer stranded in the third, Greber got his only 1-2-3 inning in the fourth before giving up two singles to start the fifth, but got a handy 6-4-3 double play and later a fly to center to continue the shutout.
"This was his first time out. I think his nerves got him the most," said Celina coach Tim Harter of Greber, who walked four and struck out five in scattering five hits. "After he settled and got his curveball going, it helped him out. He threw well for his first time out. Very pleased with that."
Celina took advantage of errors for several runs. In the first, Nick Steinbrunner reached first on an error and later came home from third when a throw down went into left field. The Bulldogs added another run in the second when Zach Greber singled home Carter Altstaetter and a third run in the fourth when Muhlenkamp's groundout scored Max Baumstark.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Marion Local's Griffin Bruns (4) stretches for the ball as Celina's Zach Greber slides into second base.
The Bulldogs applied the finishing touches on their offense with three more runs in the fifth off Parker Hess. Zander Jones drove home two runs with a single and later Zach Greber singled home Jones for the final run of the day.
"We've been stroking the ball pretty good," said Harter. "Some of the guys have been really well. They've been pretty good situational hitting. When we've needed a big hit, they got it."
Muhlenkamp came on to pitch in the sixth to sew up the victory. Muhlenkamp walked a batter with two outs in the sixth and then hit a batter with two away in the seventh before getting the final out and completing the shutout.
Steinbrunner, Caleb Stephenson and Zach Greber each had two hits for the Bulldogs.
Celina returns to Montgomery Field on Wednesday to host New Bremen.
