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Celina's Luke Maxwell (left) reaches out to try and apply the tag to Ottawa-Glandorf's Grant Leopold during Tuesday's WBL contest at Montgomery Field.
CELINA - Tuesday was a clutch kind of day for the Celina baseball team.
The Bulldogs made some big plays to limit Ottawa-Glandorf to one run and clutch hitting allowed Celina to extend a one-run lead into a 5-1 victory in the Western Buckeye League opener at Montgomery Field. The Bulldogs improve to 2-1 on the season.
"It was a nice team win," said Celina coach John Dorner. "Lot of positives all the way around."
Braylon Steinbrunner, who picked up Celina's first win last Thursday against Parkway, took to the bump for the league lidlifter. Through the first four innings, the sophomore scattered two hits and a hit batsmen with four strikeouts.
Celina's Braylon Steinbrunner throws to first to get an out against Ottawa-Glandorf.
Celina spotted Steinbrunner a two-run lead in the bottom of the first. Wes Greber bunted his way on for a one-out single, followed by Steinbrunner getting a single. Chance Miller grounded to short, but an error allowed Greber to score the opening run. Luke Maxwell followed with a double to center to make it 2-0 before the Titans' Carson Yaeger got the final two outs of the inning.
After getting the first out in the fifth, Steinbrunner walked Adam Maag, then Grant Leopold singled to put two on. Dorner wasted no time in calling in Greber from center field to stop the threat. Greber enticed Landon Pester to fly out to right. Maag tagged up to go to third, but on the attempt to get Leopold trying to take second, the throw went into the outfield, allowing Maag to score to cut the margin. Greber quickly squelched the Titans rally when Haiden Aldrich flew out to center to end the inning.
"O-G put the ball in play, hit a lot of balls hard and we were able to make the plays," said Dorner. "Our pitchers worked hard. They're the same combo that got our first win a week ago. They both pitched extremely well."
Yaeger got the first two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Miller reached on an error and Maxwell doubled. Braylon Parker then drew a walk load the bases for Ohyn May, who came on to play outfield when Greber went in to pitch. The Titans brought in Will Siefker to pitch, and May promptly singled up the middle to bring home pinch-runner Ethan Winner and Maxwell to make it 4-1.
"We had some big plays and some big at-bats," said Dorner. "Ohyn came off the bench and got a two-run (single), which was huge after (O-G) got it to within 2-1. He was hunting fastballs, got an 0-2 pitch he could handle and did a great job with it."
Celina's BJ Tare lays down a bunt during Tuesday's WBL baseball game with Ottawa-Glandorf at Montgomery Field.
Celina added one final run in the sixth when BJ Tare was hit by a pitch, then went from first to third on an errant pickoff throw. One out later, Greber singled up the middle to score Tare.
On the mound, Greber closed the door, getting 1-2-3 innings in the sixth and seventh, recording a strikeout to close out the game.
Greber, Steinbrunner and Maxwell each had two hits, with Maxwell tallying two doubles.
Celina is back in action on Friday as Defiance makes the trip south for another Western Buckeye League contest.
