Lima Locos’ Kolton Schaller watches his grand slam clear the fence against the Grand Lake Mariners during Thursday’s game at Simmons Field.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
LIMA — Scoring runs and coming up with clutch hits has been an issue for Lima this year, but the Locos reversed that trend by posting a 16-2 run-rule, seven inning victory Thursday night against Grand Lake.
The Locos, who travel to face Grand Lake for a two-day stand Friday and Saturday, improve to 5-3 on the season. The Mariners fall to 3-4 on the year.
Coming into the game, the tension was high between the two squads after words were exchanged between the two squads that saw the Mariners win 6-5 and the Locos were looking for little payback and did it by getting timely hitting and quality pitching.
“Some of the players were joking because I said I wanted 20 runs before the game and they apologized for coming up four short,” Locos skipper Chad Ehrnsberger said. “I have been saying it, we have good hitters. Today they executed well and when you only have to swing at strikes it is a lot easier to hit. Our guys came through tonight and hopefully it continues.”
All 16 runs of the Locos’ runs came in the fourth and fifth innings.
“We finally got some good at-bats with guys on base,” Ehrnsberger said. “We have been waiting for that all summer and it was good to see and hopefully it continues.
The Locos, who were held scoreless in the first three frames, found themselves down 1-0 after three innings but in the fourth Lima tallied five runs with Kolton Schaller’s grand slam highlighting the rally. It was Schaller’s second home run of the season.
Schaller, who had been batting lower in the lineup was moved up to lead-off and his first two plate appearances he struck out looking but made the necessary adjustments and delivered the big blast.
“He had me 3-2 and I was just sitting fastball and he gave me something slow, a change up, and I got the head of the bat out and it went over the fence,” the Kent State product said. “I struck out looking two times and on the first at bat I struck out on the pitch that I hit out for the grand slam so that was good to get that back.”
Schaller added this was the type of game the Locos needed.
“This is the one we needed,” Schaller said. “It was a break out win. All of our games have been pretty close and a win like this will get us going.”
As for the revenge aspect, Schaller said to simply check out the scoreboard and that pretty much told the story.
Schaller’s home run seemed to ignite the Locos who tallied 11 more runs in the fifth. Landon Underhill had the Locos’ second home run of the game, a three-run shot, but it was the Mariners’ inconsistent pitching that accounted for six runs on base on balls or hit batsmen.
Underhill went 2 for 3 with three runs and 5 RBI. Teammate Cade Belyeu was 3 for 4 with 3 runs and an RBI and catcher Caleb Herd went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI.
The Locos had nine hits total.
Ehrnsberger said he expects to continue to tweak the lineup in order to get guys playing time and find the right chemistry that is going to deliver wins.
“I just want to make sure everyone is getting their at bats and make sure everyone gets a chance to play and show what they can do.,” the Locos manager said. “I wouldn’t have brought guys here if I didn’t think they could play so to me it doesn’t matter what the lineup is I still expect them to produce. As the summer goes along we will get into a routine of a certain lineup but right now everybody is going to get to play.”
Not to be overlooked was the solid pitching performance from a trio of Loco pitchers as Peyton Nelson, Jacob Pruitt and Micah Takac combined to scatter seven hits and seven strikeouts.
Nelson, who is becoming one of the Locos’ most consistent arms, pitched the first four frames, allowing four hits, one earned run, three strikeouts and one walk. Pruitt got the win as he tossed two innings, giving two hits and fanning four. Takac finished off the blowout by pitching the final inning.
“Nelson has been great for us all summer and this is his third outing, and I think tonight might be the first run he has given up so that is what we expected from him and Pruitt coming out here, just getting here today, has unhittable stuff as long as he is ahead.”
The Locos return to Simmons Field for a 7:05 p.m. Wednesday game against Royal Oak.
Game summary
Mariners`001`001`0` —`2`7`2
Locos`000`5(11)0`x` —`16`9`0
WP — Jacob Pruitt; LP — Dane Hall
2B: L. Steele (M), A.Walton (M), C. Ashby (L), C. Belyeu (L).
HR: K. Schaller (L), L. Underhill (L).
Reach Jose Nogueras at 567-242-0468.
