Not enough O

The Patriots couldn’t string together hits. When runners found their way on, they were left stranded.

In fact, there were only two frames when either team could put up a crooked number. Those two innings were all it took to push the Cavaliers to victory.

Jay County High School’s baseball team lost to visiting Coldwater on Monday, 8-3.

The Patriots (2-2) have been inconsistent offensively as of late, splitting games in a doubleheader Saturday against the Mississinewa Indians (2-2) in Gas City. They lost the first game 19-18 despite a 16-run fourth inning. The Patriots won the second game 3-2.

Their bats didn’t heat back up against the Cavaliers (5-1).

“Getting some timely hitting — we didn’t get that at the plate,” JCHS coach Todd Farr said. “Whether it had been a strikeout or a pop up or something like that, something easy on their end. We’ve got to get something where we’re moving guys.”

Without timely hits, the Patriots stranded seven baserunners and had four more run into outs.

The bottom of the fourth is a prime example of the opportunities Jay County had. After a groundout, Conner Specht reached base on a walk. The next two batters, catcher Drew Schemenaur and first baseman Ryne Goldsworthy, singled to load the bases. All three were left stranded as Parker Nichols struck out looking and Carter Fugiett struck out on a high fastball.

The Cavaliers were able to jump out and score four early runs against freshman pitcher Kade Sommers.

Two of the first three batters walked and the other hit a single to load the bases to begin the game. Coldwater’s Marcel Blasingame scored the first run on a wild pitch.

A strikeout and a pop up to Schemenaur gave the Patriots the opportunity to end the inning without much more damage, but a double from Evan Harlamert and a single from Mason Welsch scored three more runs.

“We’ve been struggling a little bit at the plate,” Coldwater coach Cory Klenke said. “We have some speed so getting a few guys on through walks, hit by pitch, whatever it may be to be able to get those guys on early and get a few hits to get them around was huge. Getting a few runs in the first inning, on the road especially, is nice.”

The only other run Sommers gave up came in the second inning when Braylen Harlamert hit a triple and later scored on a passed ball.

Sommers suffered the loss, giving up five runs on six hits in four innings pitched.

“They jumped on us early with four runs there then we got settled down,” Farr said. “We threw a freshman today. He threw well.

“They got on the basepaths there and that hurt us a little bit. There was some good hitting from them and good approaches from them”

Junior Sam Myers relieved Sommers, pitching the final three innings. The fifth and seventh were quiet, but three more runs scored in the sixth on three singles and a triple from the top of Coldwater’s lineup.

Jay County’s runs all came at different points in the game. The most dramatic was Myers’ home run in the bottom of the first inning.

“I was feeling confident about my bat. He gave me a fastball right where I like my pitches and it just went out,” Myers said. “I was hoping it would give us a good rally for the team but it didn’t happen.”

The next run came in the third inning. Fugiett reached base on an error by Coldwater second baseman Braylen Harlamert and made it to third base on Josh Dowlen’s double. Cody Rowles successfully laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Fugiett.

The final run came in the bottom of the seventh. Fugiett led off the inning with a single before coming around on a groundout by Christian Runkle. But the Patriots couldn’t spark more of a rally.

Welsch earned the win for Coldwater, throwing seven strikeouts and only allowing one earned run in six innings.

The Cavaliers’ top hitters were Braylen Harlamert (3-for-4 and three runs) and Evan Harlamert (2-for-3, two RBIs).

Dowlen was the only Patriot to record multiple hits.

The Patriots have three more games this week, next up being Eastbrook tonight.

“We’re young. We’re still trying to figure things out,” Farr said. “I don’t think that it was terrible. It wasn’t our best.

“We don’t have a whole lot of time to practice this week so we’re going to have to learn on the fly.”