Mariners 12, Copperheads 2
Grand Lake Mariners broke open a tight game with a seven-run seventh inning and cruised past the S Ohio Copperheads, 12–2, on Sunday afternoon at Grand Lake.
Early back-and-forth before Mariners pull ahead
Grand Lake struck first in the bottom of the 1st, manufacturing two runs with fielder's-choice contact and pressure on the defense. Luke Wildes drove in the opener on a fielder's choice, and the second run came moments later when a throwing error by Copperheads catcher Joshua Caudill allowed Wildes to score (unearned), giving the Mariners a 2–0 lead.
S Ohio answered quickly. In the 2nd, Cole Davis came home on Caudill's sacrifice fly to make it 2–1, and in the 3rd Davis tied it himself with an RBI single to left that scored Lance Morgan. After three innings, it was 2–2 despite the Copperheads striking out frequently and rarely putting sustained rallies together.
Grand Lake regained the lead in the 4th on a small-ball RBI bunt from Marek Bolson (2–3), then added two more in the 5th: Wildes ripped an RBI double and Maalik Perkins followed with an RBI single to push the margin to 5–2.
Seventh-inning avalanche ends it (run rule)
The game turned into a rout in the 7th. Wildes launched a two-run homer to right to start the outburst, and the Mariners kept piling on with run-scoring hits from Forrest Day (RBI single), Bolson (two-run double), and Huston Dunn (RBI single), plus a sacrifice fly from Brandt Kendall. Defensive miscues by S Ohio helped extend the inning, with multiple runs scoring unearned as Grand Lake sent 12 men to the plate and effectively ended the contest via the run rule.
Standout performers
- Luke Wildes (Grand Lake): 2-for-3 with a double, home run, and 4 RBIs, plus a walk and 3 runs scored—he was the centerpiece of the offense.
- Huston Dunn (Grand Lake): 3-for-4 with an RBI.
- Maalik Perkins (Grand Lake): 2-for-3 with an RBI, a walk, 2 stolen bases, and 2 runs scored.
- Marek Bolson (Grand Lake): drove in 3 (sac bunt RBI + two-run double).
For S Ohio, Cole Davis did most of the damage, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run, while Konnor Pittman added a 2-for-3 day with a double. The Copperheads, however, managed just 6 hits, drew only one walk, and struck out 10 times.
On the mound
Grand Lake's pitching settled in after the early tie:
- Sean Krueckeberg worked 3 innings, allowing 2 runs (1 earned).
- Bryce Eggleton (W, 1–0) dominated in relief: 4.0 innings, 1 hit, 0 runs, 6 strikeouts, no walks.
S Ohio starter Logan Martin (L, 0–1) battled control issues (5 walks, 2 HBP) over 4.2 innings, and Grand Lake's patience showed all day (7 walks total). Reliever Jackson Dempsey was tagged for 7 runs in the 7th, including Wildes' homer.
Final notes
Grand Lake out-hit S Ohio 12–6 and out-walked them 7–1, turning a 2–2 game into a runaway late. The game lasted **1:59** and was run-ruled.