WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE — Despite surrendering four unearned runs in the seventh inning, Wilmington held off Washington 8-6 Friday for a South Central Ohio League baseball win on the Washington diamond.
The Hurricane, 5-5 on the year, had a seemingly comfortable 8-2 lead going to the bottom of the seventh.
“We were feeling pretty good about ourselves then it kinda fell apart,” WHS head coach Rick Kneisel said.
Brady McCune, who came in to the game in relief of starter Stephen Krause, had two outs and a runner on base in the seventh. Wilmington then committed a couple errors and Washington put together a few hits and suddenly the WHS lead was down to two.
But McCune struck out the ninth batter of the inning and preserved the victory as WHS improves to 4-1 in the SCOL.
The game was played in cold and breezy conditions. The players again had to battle precipitation throughout much of the game.
“I’m hoping this is the last of the arctic games we have to play this season,” Kneisel said. “I feel for you who are covering the game and those watching the game.”
Krause (2-0) earned the pitching win, going six innings, allowing three hits, two walks and one earned run. He struck out four. None of the four runs allowed by McCune were earned.
At the plate, Chris Wolary swung one of the big bats for WHS. He clubbed a two-run homer in the fourth off the scoreboard in left-centerfield to give WHS 3-1 lead. He drove in three runs and scored three runs.
Krause had three hits and scored twice. Jordan Ianson had two hits, an RBI and scored a run. Ianson, playing third base, also was credited with two “defensive gems,” Kneisel said. He made a diving stop of a line drive to prevent a couple of Washington runs and then reached over the fence to catch a foul pop fly.
Wilmington took a 1-0 lead when Wolary reached on a fielder’s choice and Andrew Davis scored in the top of the first. Wolary’s blast came in the fourth as WHS extended its lead to three.
In the sixth, Wolary walked and McCune reached on an error. Another walk loaded the bases then Ryan Hottinger had a infield single to score Wolary. Andrew Davis reached on an error and McCune scored to make it 5-1.
In the seventh, Ianson had a two-out double to score Krause, 6-3. Wolary and Ianson scored when Hottinger’s batted ball was errored by the Blue Lions to make it 8-3 going to the bottom of the inning.
