The Lima Locos’ Bryant Herring throws from the outfield during the first game of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League championship series Friday night against the Hamilton Joe at Simmons Field.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA – The Lima Locos’ bats continue to sizzle.
The Locos hit .280 on the season and are pounding away in the playoffs.
The Locos knocked off the Hamilton Joes 13-6 in Game 1 of the Great Lakes Collegiate League best-of-3 championship series Friday at Simmons Field.
Game 2 is at Hamilton’s Foundation Field at 7:05 p.m. today.
Game 3, if necessary, will be at 7:05 p.m. Sunday in Hamilton.
Locos starter Jaren Slusher (Shorter) threw only 18 innings this summer, but entering Friday, had made three strong outings in the row.
Slusher made it four straight strong appearances with six innings of work for the Locos.
“I started trusting the dudes behind me,” Slusher said. “I think I just got comfortable playing with the fans here. I love it here. They (the fans) were amazing tonight.’’
Slusher gave up two runs, both earned, on four hits. He struck out four and walked three.
Slusher threw 99 pitches, 56 for strikes.
Locos catcher Joe Salvo said, “I think his best pitch was his fastball. He did a good job locating it.’’
In the third inning, with the Locos leading 1-0, Slusher loaded the bases with two outs, but got Evan Ulrich to ground out to third to escape damage.
“I told myself I had to get out of it,” Slusher said. “I couldn’t let them score. … Overall, I thought I did pretty well tonight. Everything was there.’’
Locos coach Matt Furuto said, “That was big time (from Slusher). That’s what we really needed. He really stepped up and came ready.
“He’s been great because he’s been able to mix off-speed pitches for strikes, which really speeds up his fastball. When he can do that, he can be really effective.’’
Dillon Masters came on and went two innings for the Locos and gave up two runs, one earned.
The Locos scored 13 runs on 10 hits. They still left 14 on base, as Joes’ pitchers walked 15 batters.
“There was a lot of craziness in that one,” Furuto said.
For the Locos, Ty Gill went 2 for 5 with two RBI.
Bryant Herring was 2 for 5 with two RBI.
Brennen Norton was 2 for 4 with two RBI.
Jayden Davis was 2 for 5 with a triple and an RBI.
Cade Sadler was 2 for 3 with two RBI.
Lima scored one in the second and added four in the fourth to grab a 5-0 lead over the Joes.
The Joes got within 5-2 with a two-runs sixth.
The Locos used two Joes’ errors to score six in the home sixth to pull out to an 11-2 lead.
The Locos took a 1-0 lead in the second.
Davis went the other way with a triple in the right-field corner.
Davis scored on an RBI single to right by Sadler. That made it 1-0, Locos.
The Locos chased Joes starter Josh Laisure from the game in the fourth.
Laisure got the first two batters out in the fourth. He walked the next two and Gil reached on a perfect bunt single to the third baseman. That loaded the bases.
Herring walked with the bases loaded and the Locos’ lead grew to 2-0.
Josh Mrozek scored from third on a wild pitch and it was 3-0, Locos.
Norton delivered a two-run, chopping single to right and the Locos had a 5-0 lead in the fourth.
Hamilton got within 5-2 in the sixth on a two-run single to center by Cal Brazier.
The Locos pushed across six in the home sixth to make it 11-2.
Gill’s two-run single to center gave the Locos a 10-2 lead. Herring’s RBI single made it 11-2.
The Locos led 13-4 entering the eighth and used two everyday players, Herring and Caleb Dugan, to close out the eighth, giving up two runs.
Hamilton’s Laisure (Wright State) was firing 94-95 mph, but lacked command of his fastball.
Laisure went 3 2/3 innings and gave up five runs, all earned, on four hits. He walked seven and struck out three.
Heading into Game 2, Slusher said, “We just have to play like we did tonight and we’ll be good.’’
Locos notes: Jacob Newman (Samford) is expected to start for the Locos in Game 2.
The Hamilton Joes defeated the Locos in the GLCL championship series last year, 2-1, in the best-of-3.
Four Locos return off that team: catcher Joe Salvo, outfielder Jake Hutchins, first baseman D.J. Jackson and pitcher Patrick Dillon.
The Locos and Joes didn’t meet in the regular season this summer.
The Locos have won six GLCL titles (1993, 2004, 2011, 2015, 2017 and 2019).
Hamilton has won three titles (2010, 2016, 2021).
Locos pitchers Jonathan Machamer and Miller Riggins have left the team for the summer.
