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STEUBENVILLE -- The Steubenville Post 33 American Legion baseball team has struggled preventing the big inning so far this summer, and that trend continued against Power Baseball Club 18U.
Power Baseball plated five runs in the top of the first inning and did not look back en route to a victory Wednesday up at Fred Heatherington Field.
Power Baseball – based in Richmond – sent nine batters to the plate in the first resulting in five runs on three hits.
The victors loaded the bases with no outs as Kyle Long singled to right, JD Henderson walked and Bryce Rogers singled to center. Then, Evan Kimmerle plated Long with the first run on a fielder’s choice to make the score, 1-0. Cole Pittman then drew a walk before Connor Watson reached on an error scoring Rogers, who had stolen third, to make it, 2-0. After a strikeout, Kimmerle, who moved to second on a defensive indifference and third on Watson’s groundball, scored on a wild pitch to increase Power Baseball’s advantage to 3-0. Boe DeNoon then tallied a two-run single to increase the visitors advantage to 5-0 before a flyout ended the inning.
Post 33 answered with a run in the home half of the inning.
Kaiden Anderson walked to start the inning, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by starting pitcher Jonathan Wineman and a groundout by Kole Yourkovich before scoring on a single by Kyle Snyder to cut Steubenville’s deficit down to 5-1, however, a groundout ended the inning.
Unfortunately for the hosts, that was as close as they would get as Power Baseball erupted for eight more runs in the second to build a 13-1 advantage.
Kyle Long tripled to right to start the inning before scoring on a triple to left by Henderson making it a 6-1 ballgame. Rogers followed with a double to left scoring Rogers as the lead grew to 7-1. After Kimmerle walked, Pittman plated Rogers with a single to left making the score, 8-1, as the other two baserunners moved up on the throw. Watson then reached on an error scoring Kimmerle increasing his team’s advantage out to 9-1. Pittman moved to third on the play before scoring on a
single to left by Dylan Long to make it 10-1. Watson took second on the play, stole third and scored on a 6-4-3 double play to put the score at 11-1. Starting pitcher Noah Kokiko was hit by a pitch before scoring on a triple to right by Kyle Long increasing the advantage for the victors out to 12-1, and Long scored on a single to right by Henderson to cap the scoring in the inning at eight as the team built a 12-run advantage. A flyout brought the inning to a close.
This time, Post 33 was unable to plate a run in the bottom of the inning as the team was retired in order.
Power Baseball continued to be productive at the plate in the third as it tacked on three more runs to build a 15-run lead. The team loaded the bases with no outs as Kimmerle singled to left, Pittman walked and Watson also singled to left to put three runners on base. After a pop-up, Kimmerle scored when DeNoon reached on an error making the score 14-1. Following another pop-up, Kyle Long singled home Pittman and Watson to put Power Baseball up 16-1.
Steubenville got a run back in its half of the inning.
Kyle Coldanato – Post 33’s No. 9 batter – singled to right to start the inning before moving to second when Anderson reached on an error. Then, Wineman singled to right scoring Coldanato to make it a 16-2 ballgame. Steubenville was unable to do any more damage as a flyout, a pickoff at second and a strikeout ended the inning.
Power Baseball tacked on a run in the fourth. Rogers recorded a triple to center to start the inning before scoring on a single to left by Kimmerle to regain a 15-run advantage at 17-2, however, three-straight pop-ups brought the inning to a close.
Post 33 was retired in order for the second time in the bottom of the inning to bring the game to an end.
Kokiko picked up the win for Power Baseball as he struck out two while walking one in his two innings of work. Kokiko was relieved by DeNoon to start the third, and DeNoon delivered two strikeouts without issuing a walk in his two innings of relief work.
Wineman took the loss for Post 33. Wineman struck out one and walked four in his 2 1/3 innings of work on the mound. He was relieved by Jace Wojtas, who started the game behind the plate, with one out in the third. Wojtas went the rest of the way. He did not record a strikeout or walk a batter in his 1 2/3 innings of relief.
Steubenville is schedule to play St. Clairsville Post 159 at 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon at home.
Power Baseball Club 18U 17, Steubenville Post 33 2
Power Baseball Club 583 1 – 17 15 1
Steubenville 101 0 – 2 3 3
POWER BASEBALL (10-8-1): Kokio (2IP, 2K, 1BB), DeNoon (2IP, 2K, 0BB) and Henderson. K. Long 2S, 2T, 3RBI; Henderson T, 2RBI; Rogers S, D, T, RBI; Kimmerle 2S, 2RBI; Pittman S, RBI; Watson S, 2RBI; D. Long S, RBI; DeNoon S; 3RBI.
STEUBENVILLE (0-9): Wineman LP (2 1/3IP, 1K, 4BB), Wojtas (1 2/3IP, 0K, 0BB) and Wojtas and Snyder (3). Wineman S, RBI; Snyder S, RBI; Coldanato S.