Mariners 19, Sluggers 5
Flag City Sluggers jumped out early, but the Grand Lake Mariners answered with a steady comeback and then detonated for a decisive 14-run fifth inning to win 19–5 on July 12, 2026.
Early edge for Flag City
Flag City looked in control right away. In the top of the 1st, Cameron Spezia ripped a three-run double to right-center to plate Jovanny Skrelja, Atticus Huffstutler, and Trenten Smith for a 3–0 lead. The Sluggers added another in the 2nd when Jimmy LaForce lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Draden Wardrop to make it 4–0.
Mariners chip away and pull even
Grand Lake began trimming the deficit in the bottom of the 2nd with two sacrifice flies—one from Marek Bolson and another from Landon Tiesing—to make it 4–2. In the 3rd, Parker Vaughn delivered a two-run single down the right-field line, scoring Noah Drake and CJ Filipek to tie the game 4–4.
Flag City briefly regained the lead in the 4th when Kaden Ford drove in Wardrop on a fielder's choice (5–4), but Grand Lake answered immediately with Sean Krueckeberg's sacrifice fly to tie it again, 5–5.
The game-breaking fifth: 14 runs
The contest turned into a rout in the bottom of the 5th. Grand Lake sent 19 batters to the plate and scored 14 runs on a mix of timely hits and persistent pressure—walks, hit batters, and wild pitches all played a role. The inning's biggest blow was Landon Tiesing's three-run double to right-center, part of a five-RBI day for him. Vaughn also did major damage, driving in four runs overall, and the Mariners piled up 10 walks in the game.
By the time the inning ended, Grand Lake had flipped a 5–5 tie into a 19–5 advantage, and the final two innings were scoreless.
Notables
Grand Lake offense:
- Landon Tiesing: 1-for-1, 5 RBI (3-run double plus run-producing plate appearances)
- Parker Vaughn: 3-for-3 with a double, 4 RBI, plus a walk
- Maalik Perkins: 2-for-4, 2 RBI, plus a stolen base
- Mariners drew 10 walks and scored multiple runs via wild pitches and HBPs
Flag City offense:
- Cameron Spezia: 1 hit, 3 RBI (the 1st-inning double)
- Draden Wardrop: scored twice, doubled, and stole a base
Pitching summary:
- Taylor Seay earned the win for Grand Lake (5.0 IP, 5 R, 3 K), with Kaden Plank finishing with 2 scoreless innings.
- Flag City's staff struggled with control and traffic: 10 walks allowed, multiple hit batters, and key wild pitches during the fifth-inning collapse.
Grand Lake improved to 27–5 with the win, while Flag City fell to 17–16. The game lasted 2:32 and was played at 322 Grand Lake Rd in Celina, Ohio, with attendance listed as 0.