Coldwater tops Tribe

FORT RECOVERY and COLDWATER, Ohio — It was a rough day for both Indian teams’ offenses Tuesday night.

Coldwater’s Keegan Bruggeman, Marcel Blasingame and Madison Wendel held the two teams to a combined eight hits, blanking the boys and holding the girls to only three runs.

The Fort Recovery High School baseball and softball teams both lost to the conference-rival Coldwater Cavaliers, the former falling 4-0 on the road while the latter lost at home in six innings 13-3.

It was a rough start for the Tribe softball team (5-6, 0-3 Midwest Athletic Conference), with Sophie Pearson giving up four quick runs in her first appearance since suffering an injury Thursday. She gave up two home runs in the first inning to Wendel and Kendra Clune to build the four-run lead.

The Indians struggled to erase the deficit, only managing to tally four hits in the game — two from Kylie Post and one each from Audra Bubp and Pearson.

After Bubp’s hit in the fourth inning, she was able to steal second and third bases during Emma Will’s at bat. Will drove Bubp in with a ground out to shortstop to put the Indians on the board.

Ava Grisez reached first base on a bunt and an error to lead off the fifth inning before a passed ball and Post’s single up the middle scored her.

Their last run came in the bottom of the sixth thanks to a single from Pearson, who then stole second, third and home.

The Indians gave up six hits in the sixth inning leading to eight runs, including a two-run home run for Claire Steinke.

Wendel picked up the win with nine strikeouts through six innings.

The FRHS baseball team (7-4, 2-2 MAC) struggled to reach base as well with four hits of its own. Caden Grisez contributed two while Sage Wendel and Wyatt Bihn both added one. Grisez and Wendel each had a hit in the third inning, but a popup from Bihn and a fly out from Cale Rammel helped Bruggeman escape the inning unscathed.

The other two hits were strung together in the top of the fifth inning, but it ended when catcher AJ Harlamert picked off Grisez at second base.

The Cavaliers’ first two runs came in the bottom of the first inning. Coldwater attempted a double steal and Blasingame was the first to cross home plate because of an error on catcher Riggs Tobe. Evan Harlamert drove home the second run on a ground out to shortstop Alex Dues.

Coldwater also scored in the third and fourth innings on a double from Braylen Harlamert and a Blasingame single.

Bo Thien suffered the loss, surrendering three earned runs in two innings.