FR double trouble for Parkway

FORT RECOVERY — Double plays helped keep the Indians off the board through the first four innings. But a pair of doubles sparked their offense in the fifth, and Chase Bruns and Mitch Stammen proved to be double trouble on the base paths.
Bruns and Stammen came sliding home with runs on the same play, capping a four-run fifth inning for the Division IV No. 1 Fort Recovery High School baseball team Tuesday in its 4-0 win over the Parkway Panthers.
The break-out inning supported a one-hit shutout effort by junior hurler Jackson Hobbs, who picked up his fourth win of the season. He retired the first 14 batters he faced before giving up a two-out single to Brody Adams in the fifth inning.
“Jackson was really focused for tonight’s ball game,” said FRHS coach Jerry Kaup, whose team improved to 14-0 overall and 3-0 in the Midwest Athletic Conference. “He knew he was going to get this start for a couple of days and he was looking forward to it. He took it as a challenge. This is an excellent ball club we played tonight, and he battled at a high level.”
And, eventually, the offense came through to back him up.
Double plays — the first on a line drive and then second on a pop up — ended Tribe threats in the second and fourth innings. But when Nate Lochtefeld doubled down the left field line to lead off the fifth inning the Indians were ready to pounce.
Ben Will broke the shutout with another double, advancing to third base when Bruns dropped a single into shallow right field. Will scored on a Stammen ground ball, and then another grounder from Cole Wendel led to the wildest play of the game.
Parkway decided to throw home in an effort to cut down Bruns at the plate, and catcher Brandon Gibson made the tag in time. But the ball squirted out of his glove as the players made contact, allowing Bruns to touch the plate safely.
Seeing the action unfold in front of him, Stammen never slowed as he rounded third base. He scampered home before the Panthers could track down the ball, giving the Indians a second run on the play.
“It’s their read,” said Kaup of his base runners. “(Bruns) thought he could get in there and he did. …
“And then Mitch was trailing right behind and he could see the ball squirt away, realized (the catcher) didn’t know where it was for a moment, and he never really broke stride. He just kept going full bore and was able to slide in behind him.”
Lochtefeld led the offense with a single, a double and a run, and Kyle Schroer also finished 2-for-3.
Wyatt Felver took the loss, giving up four runs on seven hits and a walk in six innings. He struck out two batters.
“He kept them to five scoreless innings,” said Parkway coach Luke Clouse. “It was a great effort
“They’re a good team. They’re not No. 1 in the state by accident.”
The four runs were more than enough for Hobbs, who spent the evening baffling Parkway (10-3, 2-1 MAC) with his off-speed pitches. He struck out six batters and allowed the ball to be hit to the outfield just three times.
The Panthers never got a runner past first base, with Hobbs coming off the mound to make four plays on his own and trotting over to take a pair of throws from first baseman Cole Wendel.
“I felt great on the mound today,” said Hobbs. “When you go out and throw a one-hitter against a pretty good team, most of your pitches are working.”
The Indians are off to their best start in school history. They will seek to keep that streak alive and defend their No. 1 ranking when they host Versailles (8-3, 1-2 MAC) on Thursday.