Mariners 14, Copperheads 6
Grand Lake Mariners turned a tight early game into a runaway on Saturday evening, pounding out 17 hits and drawing nine walks to beat the S Ohio Copperheads 14-6 at Bob Wren Stadium in Athens, Ohio.
The Mariners struck first in the second inning and never really let the Copperheads settle in. Brandt Kendall opened the scoring with a two-run double to center, bringing home Maalik Perkins and Landon Tiesing for a 2-0 lead. Moments later, Huston Dunn doubled to center to drive in CJ Filipek, making it 3-0 and setting the tone for a night where Grand Lake consistently produced extra-base damage and timely contact.
S Ohio answered in the third to get back into it. Cole Davis singled in a run and Fox Spears followed with a sacrifice fly, trimming the deficit to 3-2. The Copperheads stayed within striking distance again in the fifth, when Spears ripped an RBI double and Landon Baker added an RBI groundout, pulling S Ohio within 5-4 after Grand Lake had briefly extended the margin on Luke Wildes' two-run single.
The game broke open in the sixth, when the Mariners sent a wave of hitters to the plate and turned a one-run edge into a commanding lead. Kendall delivered again, lacing another two-run double down the right-field line to make it 7-4. CJ Filipek added an RBI single, Sean Krueckeberg knocked in a run with a single, Forrest Day drove in another with a base hit to center, and Tiesing capped the inning with an RBI single. By the time the dust settled, Grand Lake had scored six in the frame and led 11-4.
Grand Lake kept piling on in the seventh. Day brought in a run on a groundout, Wildes added an RBI single, and Marek Bolson doubled home another as the Mariners pushed the advantage to 14-4. S Ohio managed two runs in the bottom of the seventh on a Cole Davis solo homer and an RBI double from Baker, but the comeback ended there.
Kendall was the offensive centerpiece, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and four RBIs. Dunn finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and a double, while Krueckeberg had a huge all-around night at the plate, going 4-for-5 with three runs scored, an RBI, and a walk. Wildes drove in three on a 2-for-4 night, and Tiesing reached base four times (2 hits, 2 walks) while scoring twice.
On the mound, Cournell Bennett McCoy earned the win to move to 3-0, allowing two runs over three innings with three strikeouts. Christian Douglass worked the middle innings and surrendered four runs, including Cole Davis' homer, before the Mariners' bullpen closed it down. Krueckeberg, after starring at the plate, also handled the final two innings on the mound and allowed just one hit while striking out two.
For S Ohio, Cole Davis was the standout, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a home run. Baker added two RBIs, and Spears contributed two hits and two RBIs (including a sacrifice fly). The Copperheads' pitching staff struggled with command and traffic all night, issuing nine walks. Starter Tino Diulus took the loss, allowing nine runs (eight earned) over five innings.
Grand Lake's combination of patience, extra-base hits, and the decisive six-run sixth inning turned a close contest into a lopsided 14-6 final. The game lasted 3:25 at Bob Wren Stadium, with Keith Ward behind the plate and Paul Allmon at second base.