Coldwater’s six-run sixth sinks LCC

COLDWATER - Coldwater just kept coming.

For five innings, Lima Central Catholic left-hander Travis Kottenbrock kept the Cavaliers off balance. But Coldwater adjusted in the sixth.

Coldwater scored six in the sixth to pull away with an 8-1 victory over LCC to capture the Division III baseball sectional championship Friday at Coldwater.

The key play in the sixth was Kyle Ahrens' perfect squeeze bunt down the third-base line. LCC third baseman Matt Clays came home with the throw, but designated runner Zach Siefring easily scored ahead of the throw to give the Cavs a 3-1 lead.

"It was a great job on the bunt by Kyle," Coldwater coach Brian Harlamert said. "Then, we got a few hits away and it gave us a chance to relax. One (run) was big, but six was very, very big for us."

Pinch-hitter Jordan Borgerding had an RBI groundout to first to make it 4-1. Chad Westgerdes followed with an RBI single to right to make it 5-1. Tony Harlamert's bloop RBI single to right kicked it to 6-1. Cory Klenke supplied a two-run double and it was 8-1.

"I think (Kottenbrock) lost some velocity (in the sixth) and therefore we got some big hits," Klenke said. "We started stringing some hits together and got a rally going."

Coldwater went the other way with three hits to right in the sixth.

Coldwater (22-4) advances to the district tournament to face Paulding in the second game Thursday afternoon at Elida. LCC is 14-10.

Ryan Geier, who came in hitting .562 for the Cavs, went 3-for-3 with a triple. Klenke went 2-for-3 with two doubles and three RBIs.

Klenke (4-2) was chosen to start in front of Bill Geeslin (5-0) and Klenke responded by throwing a complete game. He gave up one run on five hits. He struck out nine and walked two.

Klenke began locating his breaking ball for strikes in the fourth inning. He threw107 pitches, 64 for strikes.

"All season I've been struggling with a little bit of an elbow problem, so my velocity has been down throughout the season," Klenke said. "I didn't have my stuff to start, but you keep throwing it and keep trusting it and it comes through for it. Right in there, three, four and five (innings), I started to get stronger."

Kottenbrock's RBI triple in the second scored Joel Stolly, who walked, to tie the game at 1 in the second.

Bill Geeslin's RBI single in the fourth gave Coldwater the lead to stay, 2-1.

Kottenbrock (8-1) went the distance and gave up eight runs, all earned, on 10 hits. He struck out seven and walked three, two intentional. He threw 92 pitches, 63 for strikes.

"Coldwater does what Coldwater does. They take advantage of every opportunity that you give them, to steal a base, to take an extra base," LCC coach John Schnieders said. "They had kids that just kept coming and making plays."