Fort falls short vs. MV

FORT RECOVERY - The Indians just can't seem to get what they need when they need it.

Whether it's a timely hit, a strike, a big defensive play, or even just a ground ball, it just never seems to come.

That was the case again Monday as the Fort Recovery baseball team left runners in scoring position in the first, fifth, sixth and seventh innings in a 6-5 loss to the Mississinawa Valley Blackhawks.

In each inning in which Mississinawa Valley scored a run, the Tribe gave the Blackhawks at least one free base runner by way of an error, a walk or a hit batsman.

"There is talent on this team," said FRHS coach Jeff Hahn. "It doesn't show by our record. It doesn't show, at times, the way we play.

"Every team goes through a situation where they find ways to win baseball games when they're struggling. ... Right now, we just can't find a way to do it.

"We've got to keep working hard. We've got to keep hustling and hopefully we can find a way to pull it out."

In their 13th straight defeat, the Indians (1-13) scored four times in the fourth inning without the benefit of a hit to take a one-run lead. But from their the luck ran out.

A walk and a wild pitch led to Mississinawa Valley (6-14) pulling even in the fifth inning. And then in the bottom of the frame, Nathan Keller got gunned down at home trying to tag up from third base on a fly-out to left field from Cody Fiely.

In the sixth, a hit batsman contributed to a two-run effort from for the Blackhawks. And in the bottom, Fort Recovery had runners on second and third with one out and failed to score.

The Indians had another chance to pull even in their final at bat as Jason Pottkotter closed the gap to 6-5 with a two-run double to right field following a Hayden Pottkotter walk. But they stranded Jason Pottkotter at second base, thanks in part to a tremendous catch by second baseman Dalton Stomp in shallow right field on a looping fly ball from Fiely.

"You have to make plays," said Hahn. "We ask our guys just to make the routine plays. If you make the routine plays, you'll be ok. ... (The Blackhawks) made great plays.

"We can't find a way to score. We try to squeeze. We've try to fake bunt and steal a run. There's a lot of things that we're not able to (execute) right now."

The grab by Stomp, who pitched the fourth through sixth innings for the win, was one of several impressive defensive plays by Mississinawa Valley that helped deny the Tribe.

The other two came from center fielder Terry Westfall. He made a sliding catch on a ball in right-center field to end the fourth inning, and then ranged into left-center to take away a potential game-tying hit on a line drive by Jared Kahlig to end the sixth.

"(Westfall) played an exceptional ball game," said Mississinawa Valley coach Frank Diver. "He has been (playing well) the last few games. ... He's a junior and I'm expecting big things from him next year.

"(Stomp), the play he went out and got in the outfield was a key play ... that helped us win the game."

Stomp got the win for the Blackhawks, going three-plus inning and allowing two runs - one earned - on two hits and two walks. After Stomp gave up the walk to Pottkotter to lead off the seventh, Gary Peace took over and earned the save.

Cody Evans paced the Mississinawa Valley offense with two hits while driving in his team's first three runs. Trent Heitkamp scored twice.

"I thought the pitchers threw the ball well, we just had an inning where we had a lot of mistakes back-to-back," said Diver, whose squad committed two errors in the Tribe's four-run fourth. "It put pressure on the pitchers.

"We kept playing tough, keeping our heads in a game. We came through when we needed to come through.

"Cody Evans has been swinging the bat well for a sophomore. He really had a key hit (in the third inning)."

Fort Recovery, which had been no-hit in each of its last two games, finished with four hits against the Blackhawks.

Fiely broke the hitless streak with a double in the first inning, and Nathan Keller and Jason Pottkotter also added doubles. Alex Thien had a single, a run, an RBI and a stolen base.

Ethan Schoenherr took the loss in relief, allowing three runs on two hits and a walk.

"We have to continue to work on the things we've been working on since day one," said Hahn. "A lot of them are going back to their bad habits. ... We've just got to continue to work hard and get a bounce in the right direction and get something to build off of."[[In-content Ad]]