Day 1 and 2 Wrap Up

Ottawa - As a celebration for the 100th birthday of American Legion baseball, the first elimination game of the Region 1 tournament was played in a game between Findlay Post 3 and Pemberville Steam (Post 183).

Day one of the tournament got off to an interesting start as storms that went on all day long moved the game from Ottawa's Memorial Park to Kalida's Holy Name Ballpark. Luckily, Mother Nature would not effect the schedule of games and it would stop raining by the first pitch between Ottawa and Pemberville.

 Ottawa and Pemberville would get off to a quick start but neither would score a run in the first, the Fightans would strand a man on third after hits from Jayden Stechschulte (Ottawa Glandorf) and Brendan Barlage (Miller City). The Steam would leave the bases loaded after Ryan McGue walked one, hit one, and there was a single from Drew Tucker (St. Francis De Sales).

Ottawa would score all four of their runs in the next three innings Ayden Hyitt (Crestview), Grant Leopold (Ottawa Glandorf), and Riley Miller (Lima Senior) would load the bases all via singles before Dalton Chiles (Lima Senior) would convert with a sacrifice fly to center. 

In the fourth Ayden Hyitt singled, Grant Leopold reached on a fielder's choice, and Riley Miller was hit by a pitch again loading the bases. Back to back singles from Dalton Chiles and Jayden Stechschulte would score all three of them (one RBI for Chiles, two for Stechschulte). The Fightans would only have two baserunners on after the 4th, Ryan McGue walked in the 5th and Jayden Stechschulte would double in the 7th ending his day 3-4 with two RBIs.

Eventual losing pitcher Nolan Hoover (Gibsonburg) would give up 9 hits, 3 strikeouts (struck out the side in the sixth), 1 walk, and 1 hit batter.

Pemberville wouldn't go away, in the sixth Nolan Hoover would single and take a base and then with two outs a walk to Noah Schacht (Clay), and singles from Drew Tajblik (Lake) and Xander Greulich (Eastwood) would put two runs acroos. Pemberville didn't struggle to get people on, but left 13 runners on base, eight of them in scoring position.

Austin Koch (Ottawa Glandorf) would finish the game in 14 pitches striking two out. Ryan McGue (4-2) would pick up the victory giving up 3 hits, 0 runs, 4Ks, 5 walks, and 2 hit batters in 4.2 innings.

Game two from Holy Name Ballpark would see the Napoleon River Bandits (Post 300) take on Findlay Post 3. The River Bandits would jump on pitcher Grady Mason (Van Buren) right away with back to back singles from Noah Gomez (Defiance) and Ryne Maag (Ayersville). An error on a pickoff attempt would score Gomez and Napoleon was up 1-0 after one. 

After both teams traded 1-2-3 innings in the second, Cory Herman (Edgerton) would get on and Noah Gomez would deliver with his first homerun of the season and his team leading 26th RBI. 

Post three would respond right away as Luke Crates (Findlay) would lead things off with a single in the third. Back to back singles from Trenten Smith (Fostoria) and Kellen Frankart (Hopwell Loudon) would load the bases for Caden Fritz. Fritz (fromelry Seneca East, now Ohio Northern University) would hit a sacrifice fly to right advancing Smith to third. In an attempt at a pickle play Frankart was intentionally caught but got tagged before Smith could touch home plate.

The River Bandits next threat towards Findlay would come in the sixth when with two outs Owen Espinoza (Napoleon) doubled and Zander Zeiter (Liberty Center) would single and steal a base before they were each left in scoring position. Grady Mason pitched a complete game giving up 7 hits, one strikeout, three walks, and a pair of wild pitches. 

Post 3 would load the bases after a walk to Kellen Frankart, double from Caden Fritz, and a walk issued to Bode Wagner. Carter Dubois (Old Fort) would grab an RBI on a single. Runners would be left on second and third to end the inning, meaning the tying and go ahead run each were stranded in scoring position.

Kenneth Smeltzer (Montpelier) would strike two out of three out in the bottom of the seventh to end the game. The winning pitcher would pitch a complete game, give up 2 runs (both earned), 6 hits, 4 strikeouts, and three walks. The River Bandits would win 3-2 sending Findlay to an elimination game.

Day 2 had only one game and it would lead to the first elimination of the four team Region 1 bracket. The game didn't really get going until around the fourth inning although Pemberville would score one run after a single from Alex Tucker and an error in the first.

Landen Stansberry (Liberty Benton) got the start and through 3.1 innings gave up 7 runs (4 earned), 7 hits, 1 strikeout, and one walk. Landon Snow (Elmwood) fresh off of a trip to Daytona Beach would come in and Pemberville would continue to have success. The 4th inning would see 7 hits and 2 errors that scored 7 runs. 

Pemberville would continue to pour it on in the next two innings, three hits and three errors in those combined innings would score five more runs for the Steam combining for their 13 runs scored.

Findlay would try to stage a comeback down 13-4 entering the bottom of the seventh but dug themselves into too deep of a hole. Two walks and four hits scored four runs but Drew Kachmarik (Eastwood) would generate a groundout sending Pemberville to the next game.

The winning pitcher of the game was University of Toledo commit Drew Tajblik who in 6 innings gave up 4 runs (2 earned), 5 hits, 7 strikeouts, 3 walks, and a wild pitch.  

The new format this season will see the top 2 teams advancing to the state level. Region runner up will play in Lancaster in a play in game 7/25 at 10:30 am. The region champion will play 7/25 at 7 pm.

Two teams will clinch a state berth on day three as the Ottawa Fighting 63rd and the Napoleon River Bandits will square off for the third time this season. Game one was the season opener for the Fightans and saw Napoleon walk the game off with a Hunter Bostelman single and score 4 in the seventh to win 7-6. The June 24th game saw Ottawa put two across in the seventh and win the game 6-5 off of 15 hits and a walkoff single from Grant Schwab.

Game three between the teams has by far the biggest stakes this season. The loser will get another chance at life in a game vs. Pemberville. If you can, come visit Memorial Park and experience some quality baseball between three great legion baseball teams. If you can't make it, I'll be calling both games live on WZOQ Radio and ZSports Live Facebook page.

Read more articles by Chase Dettrow