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Grand Lake's Sage Adams goes to the ground after making a diving catch during Tuesday's game at Montgomery Field,
CELINA - One rough inning prove to be the difference for the Grand Lake Mariners on Tuesday night.
Flag City scored four times in the top of the third inning to get in front and the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League's newest team defeated one of the league's oldest teams 6-1 at Montgomery Field in the first meeting of a three-game series.
The win moves the Sluggers, based out of Findlay, to 4-6 as the Mariners also go to 4-6.
The teams traded two scoreless innings before the Sluggers came up for their second inning against Abe DeLano, who came on in the second after Mitchell Davis pitched the first for the Mariners.
Will Lafferty started the third by drawing a walk. After Lafferty stole second, Harrison Engskov belted a double to right-center to bring in Lafferty for the first run of the game. Tanner Powell followed with a single to put runners on the corners for Cameron Baker, who drew a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Mariners skipper Neil Schaffner called on Tanner Coddington to get out of trouble, but Caleb Smith brought home Engskov with a groundout to short for the first out of the inning. Chris Franks followed with a fly to center, allowing Powell to trot home from third to make it 3-0. Jaxon Brown then doubled home Baker to complete the scoring.
"Couple of missed balls, and they hit the ball hard that inning. We gave them a couple of free bases," said Schaffner. "Just that one inning."
After that, the Mariners slowed down the Sluggers, Coddington allowed just two more runs over his four innings of relief work before turning the ball over to Chase Kurtz for the final three innings.
Grand Lake's Brandon Lang slides safely into home plate as Flag City catcher Jaxon Brown looks for the ball. The run proved to be the lone Mariner run as the Sluggers picked up a 6-1 win in the first game of a three-game series.
Flag City starting pitcher Weston Speir left after three innings. Ryan Miezin took over in the fourth and got the first two outs before Brandon Lang was hit by a pitch and stole second. Chase Alwardt then followed with a single to right center to bring home Lang to avoid the shutout. After that, though, the Sluggers' bullpen locked down the Mariners. Aidan Murphy allowed just a walk in his two innings before being replaced by Jacob Sams in the eighth. Sams pitched a 1-2-3 eighth before hitting Lang with a pitch to start the ninth before retiring the next three Mariners in order to end the game.
"We battled," said Schaffner. "I thought we hit the ball hard. But (Flag City) hit the ball in the gaps, and we were hitting the ball at people today. We'll have to be on time a little better."
Powell was 4-for-4 for the Sluggers. Engskov had three hits, two of which were doubles, and scored three runs.
The teams play again tonight at Montgomery Field before moving to the Marathon Diamonds in Findlay on Friday for the series wrap-up.
Grand Lake's Jacob Loving sets up to throw the ball to first base during Tuesday's game.
