GLSCL Recap - July 9
The Sluggers win the GLSCL's only game of the night coming from behind taking down the Xenia Scouts. Flag City gains a half game over the Clippers in the standings race for the North Division's second playoff spot.
FLAG CITY SLUGGERS 6 XENIA SCOUTS 3 - FINAL
MARATHON DIAMONDS - The Flag City Sluggers scored six unanswered runs coming from behind taking down the struggling Xenia Scouts 6-3 on Thursday at Marathon Diamonds in Findlay.
Xenia took an early 3-0 advantage scoring all of its runs in the fifth inning. Bo Solley (Harding University) lead off the inning reaching on a walk and one out later stole second base. Owen Roether (Southwest Tennessee CC) singled back up the middle allowing Solly to score on the play. Jack Drew (The Masters University) the came to the plate launching two-run homer over the fence for his third rounds tripper of the season.
That's where the Scouts offense came to a screeching halt. Findlay native Ben Best (Ohio Northern) came in out of the Flag city bullpen proceeding to pitch four perfect innings. Best retired all 12 batters that he faced striking out five batters in the process.
The Sluggers chipped away at the deficit breaking the seal when Trent Smith (Owens CC) scored from third base in the bottom of the fifth on a wild pitch. Cameron Spezia (Oakland University) scored in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by Drew Tajblik (University of Toledo). Flag City tied the game 3-3 in the seventh when Spezia hit a sac fly of his own sending home Atticus Huffstutler (University of Akron).
In the eighth, the Sluggers struck for three runs taking the lead when Tajblik's single through the left side of the infield brought pinch hitter Draden Wardrop (Oakland University) home. Huffstutler's RBI-single and Miles Mitchell's (LSU New Orleans) RBI-groundout provided a pair of insurance runs.
Best closed out the Scouts retiring the side in order recording his first victory of the season. Mitchell and Huffstutler each produced three hits in the Sluggers 11-hit attack.
Flag City (17-13) took advantage of being the only game played in the GLSCL on Thursday. The Sluggers win adds a half game in the North Division standings race for the second playoff spot. Flag City remains in second place behind the first place Lima Locos and are now two full games ahead of the third place Muskegon Clippers.
The Scouts (8-22) are unfortunately on the opposite end of the spectrum dropping its 12th consecutive game. Xenia has won just one out of its last 18 games played. Its last win coincidently came at home against Flag City back on June 25. Things don't get any easier for the the Scouts as the begin a weekend series against the North Division leading Locos on Friday at Browne Stadium.
The Sluggers will welcome the South Division leading Grand Lake Mariners and its 15-game winning streak to town on Friday. The Mariners last loss came in Findlay versus the Flag City back on Father's Day. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05pm at Marathon Diamonds.
ABOUT THE GREAT LAKES SUMMER COLLEGIATE LEAGUE
The Great Lakes Summer Collegiate, founded in 1987, is a wood-bat league that is certified by the NCAA and is partially funded by Major League Baseball. The GLSCL is a non-profit 501(c)(3) entity that is one of 12 members of the National Alliance of Collegiate Summer Baseball (NACSB). The league currently consists of eight active franchises in Ohio and Michigan boasting several players that have earned service time in major league baseball.