Locos let one slip away

LIMA - Ouch.

This was like grabbing a hammer and pounding yourself over the head with it.

The Lima Locos inflicted plenty of pain on themselves Tuesday.

Columbus took advantage of three Locos' errors and scored five unearned runs in a 5-3 victory over the Locos at Simmons Field.

The worst for the Locos came at the end.

The Locos led 3-2 entering the top of the ninth. Lima had taken a 3-2 lead in the eighth when Bryan Bonner scored from third on a balk by Columbus right-hander Brenden Stines.

But the Locos made two errors in the ninth, which led to three unearned runs and that was the game. With the scored tied at 3, Locos first baseman Casey Ingle couldn't come up with a spinning grounder and when it got by him two runs scored to make it 5-3.

"It's one of the those games where you say, get the dugout cleaned up, get on the bus and get the heck out of Dodge," Columbus coach Brian Mannino said.

The Locos' reliable closer Tyler Burgoon (1-1) took the loss by giving up three runs, all unearned, on two hits. Burgoon got the first hitter out in the ninth before Chris Roberts reached on an infield error. Then came two base hits. Ryan Dew's RBI single tied the game at 3.

If that wasn't enough, Columbus scored two unearned runs in the eighth. With Dew at third and Cory Rupert at second with one out, Zach Leonard hit a comeback ball to Locos pitcher Kevin Cahill. Cahill had Dew off third, but threw the ball well over third base and down the left-field line. Dew and Rupert both scored to give the All-Americans a 2-1 lead.

"We made some crucial errors in crucial situations," Locos coach Rob Livchak said. "They gave us one back on the balk, then we made a couple of boo-boos in the ninth inning and they came back to beat us."

The Locos stand 10-10 at the midway point in the season. Columbus is 11-10.

The Locos wasted an outstanding effort from left-hander Zach Elmer (Ohio U.). He worked six shutout innings and gave up three hits. Elmer struck out two and walked none.

Columbus starter Burny Mitchem (Dayton), who kept his ERA at 0.00 after 25 innings, went five innings and gave up one unearned run on two hits. He struck out eight and walked three.

With plenty of games stacked up this week, Livchak knows his team must forget this one in a hurry.

"They know this game," Livchak said. "You don't have to say anything to them. You just tell them we have to keep working the same way as we did yesterday. We're working hard enough and you have to believe it will turn around."

Locos notes: Six Locos were named to the Great Lakes Collegiate League All-Star Game. That group includes shortstop Bryan Bonner (Georgetown), first baseman Casey Ingle (Central Michigan), catcher Jace Whitmer (Kennesaw State), third baseman Tom Howard (Central Michigan), right-hander Matt Bischoff (Purdue) and right-hander Tyler Burgoon (Michigan.). The All-Star Game is set for 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Cincinnati's Western Hills High School.

This will be Bonner's third all-star appearance.

"That's always something to look forward to," Bonner. "You try to set that as your halfway point, then after that, you try to do good the second half of the year."

Whitmer follows former Kennesaw players Jake Robbins and Jay Morrow to make the all-star team as Locos.

"It's definitely an honor," Whitmer said. "It's nice to be able to be up there with them (Robbins and Morrow) because I really look up to them as baseball players."

First-place Cincinnati (17-4) comes to town at 7 p.m. tonight to face the Locos at Simmons Field. Right-hander Frank Berry (Bowling Green) is scheduled to start.