The Lima Locos’ Cade Sadler celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Grand Lake Mariners during Thursday night’s game at Simmons Field. See more Locos photos at LimaScores.com.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA – It was one more wild game between longtime rivals Lima and Grand Lake.
The game included four home runs, 21 runs and 22 hits.
In an offense-heavy night, the Lima Locos knocked off Grand Lake 13-8 Thursday before 582 fans at Simmons Field.
The Locos led 9-1 in the fourth, but Grand Lake rallied back as close as 9-8 in the sixth.
The Locos were able to pull out to a 12-8 lead in the home sixth, then added one more in the seventh to make it 13-8.
This game typified many of the Locos vs. Grand Lake games over the years going back to the early 1990s.
The Locos ended up with 12 hits and three home runs. The Mariners had 10 hits and one home run.
“No matter whoever is good or bad, it’s always a competitive game (against Grand Lake),” Locos coach Matt Furuto said. “It’s fun to play this game because we’re close and we get good crowds. It’s just a fun experience, but it’s never easy. It’s always crazy.’’
The Locos (16-15) are one-half game ahead of second-place Jet Box (16-16) for second place and the final playoff spot in the North Division of the Great Lakes Collegiate League.
Michigan is in first place at 21-11.
The Locos have seven regular-season games remaining.
Grand Lake is 14-17.
For the Locos, Ty Gill went 1 for 3 with two stolen bases (19 on the year) and one RBI.
Bryant Herring was 2 for 3 with two RBI.
Brennen Norton went 2 for 5 with three RBI. Norton also made a high-leaping stab of a line drive in the ninth inning.
Derrick Jackson was 1 for 5 with a home run and three RBI.
“He’s always a dangerous hitter,” Furuto said of Jackson. “He’s always a dangerous hitter. You know he’s always one swing away from changing a game, which he did in that game.’’
The Locos’ Cade Sadler went 1 for 2 with a home run and one RBI.
Carson Garner was 3 for 4 with a home run and one RBI.
After getting within 9-8 in the top of the sixth, the Locos answered in the home sixth.
Garner led off the sixth with a solo home run to left to make it 10-8. It was his second home run in two games.
Norton’s RBI single gave the Locos an 11-8 lead. Jayden Davis’ fielder’s choice RBI groundout made it 12-8, Locos.
Grand Lake took 1-0 lead in the second on an parachute RBI single to right by Andrew Nykoluk.
The Locos pounded out six runs in the third, with a pair of home runs, to grab a 6-1 lead.
Sadler started the fireworks in the home third with a solo home run to left to tie the game at 1.
Garner and Gill both singled to put runners on the corners.
Gill stole second and when the throw from the catcher ended up in center field, Garner scored from third.
That gave the Locos a 2-1 lead.
Norton and Davis then singled.
Derrick Jackson then pounded a three-run home run to left to push the Locos’ lead to 6-1.
It was Jackson’s first home run after coming in late this summer. He had six home runs and hit .283 last summer for Lima.
“I came up with a new approach and it’s working well,” Jackson said. “I’m working on being simple, see ball, hit ball.
“I’ve tried to let the home runs come instead of forcing them. I try to hit the ball hard and if it goes to the fence, it goes to the fence. … Tonight it was one of the hardest hits I’ve ever had.’’
The Locos tacked on three runs in the fifth to balloon the lead to 9-1.
Gill’s RBI groundout gave the Locos a 7-1 lead. Herring’s RBI single gave the Locos a 8-1 lead. Norton reached on an infield error, which scored a run and it was 9-1, Locos.
Grand Lake came back with three unearned runs in the fifth to get within 9-4.
Adam Ebling hit a two-run home run to make it 9-4 Locos.
Grand Lake added four in the sixth to get within 9-8.
Locos starter lefty Dillon Masters (Ohio U.) deserved a better fate before he tired in the sixth inning.
Masters, who picked up the win, went 5 1/3 innings and gave up eight runs, four earned, on nine hits. He struck out seven and walked two.
Jaren Slusher earned the save with 32/3 innings of shutout relief to close it out. He gave up one hit, struck out six and walked one.
“He’s done well,” Furuto said. “We really like what he’s done for us and we can use him in different roles. He may start a game or he can come in as a bullpen arm.’’
For Grand Lake, Brandon Green went 2 for 4 with two RBI.
Locos notes: The Locos are back at home at 7:05 p.m. today against Grand Lake. Then, the Locos head to Grand Lake Saturday and Sunday.
Locos pitchers Matt Gauer and Hunter Pidek, who both made the All-Star team, have reached their summer-innings limit and will be shut down for the rest of the summer.
The Locos added pitcher Nicolas Lavelle (Heidelberg/Findlay) to the roster.
The Locos rank third in the league in hitting at .264. They rank seventh in pitching with an ERA of 5.28.
