The Lima Locos’ Connor Ashby bats during Wednesday night’s game against the Richmond Jazz at Simmons Field. Richard Parrish | The Lima News
It is hard to top a walk-off grand slam home run but Lima’s Jack Porter spectacular catch in the third inning may have been as impressive, but more importantly, was instrumental in the Locos collecting a 5-4 win Wednesday night against Richmond at Simmons Field.
With the win, the Locos extend their win streak to five and improve to 14-4 on the year. Richmond drops to 11-8 overall. The Locos hit the road and travel to Richmond for two nights and then come home for a doubleheader against Sandusky beginning at 2:05 p.m. Sunday.
After two innings the Locos held a 3-0 lead but Richmond, which would out-hit the Locos 13-12 on the night, scratched out a run and looked to add more when it put runners on first and second with two outs. Not to be overlooked was a web gem from first baseman Landon Rumfield that produced the second out.
Up came Brayton Bowen who launched one deep to right field but Porter, who would admit he didn’t know exactly where he was in correlation to the fence, leaped and somersaulted over the fence but held on to the ball and preserved three runs.
“I did not not know where the fence was,” Porter admitted. “Eddy (Martinez) kept telling me back, back, back and I went up and my knees hit the fence and I caught it. I sat down upside down on the bench and I rolled over the bench and landed. It was really weird. When I felt the fence and I started going head first over I started getting pretty scared but the bench broke my fall.”
Porter added that he takes a lot of pride in his defense.
“The past couple of days my bat hasn’t been as well so I have been trying to make up for it on defense.”
Porter pointed out that the day before Bowen had hit one over his head and the Locos right fielder was not going to let that happen again.
Locos manager Chad Ehrnsberger said he has not seen a catch like that at this level.
“That catch was amazing and it came in a big part of the game too because they had already scored in that inning and I think it would have been a three-run home run,” Ehrnsberger added. “Obviously it was huge. The amazingness of the catch and the situation makes it even better.”
Another big defensive play came in the eighth with the Locos up 5-4, when Richmond’s lead runner Charlie Marisca opened the inning with a single. Noah Wolf followed, looking to lay down a bunt which he promptly did and was picked up by catcher Caleb Herd who looked to first. However, the Locos had no one covering first but the alert Herd saw Marsica cheating off second and he threw a strike to pick him off to record a huge out and the Locos held the Jazz scoreless.
“It was great defense all the way around,” Ehrnsberger said. “That was a head’s up play from Caleb there. We had a little mix up of who was supposed to cover first but you will have that every once in a while when, again, you have kids coming from different spring programs but luckily Caleb was head’s up and that was a huge play too.”
The Locos lashed out 12 hits and jumped out to an early three-run lead after three and then tacked on runs in the sixth and seventh frames.
The Locos’ Landon Underhill drove in three and Justin Rumfield continued his torrid hitting, going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run. In his last three games, the Texan has gone 6 for 14 with two doubles, a home run and 7 RBI. Also contributing at the plate was shortstop Connor Ashby, going 2 for 4 with 2 runs and Martinez went 2 for 4 with a stolen base. Anthony Zarlingo, moved from the No. 9 spot to the lead off spot, went 2 for 5 with a run.
“We got a couple of big hits,” Ehrnsberger said. “We could have scored more but at least we scored. When we get a lead I really like our pitching. Even when we don’t have a lead I don’t have a lead I like our pitching but we are in a lot better situation when we don’t have to come from behind.”
Reese Bassinger picked up the win in relief. He went three innings, giving up one earned run while fanning three and walking none. Micah Takac pitched one inning and struck out one, giving up three hits and Jacob Pruitt pitched the final frame as he surrendered one hit while fanning two to get the save.
Starter Steven Cash who recently joined the team from Louisiana-Lafayette, tossed four innings, giving up five hits, two earned runs while striking out five and walking one.
“Cash got a little tired there at the end,” Ehrnsberger said. “That is the most he has thrown all spring. I think the most he has thrown all spring is three and a third (innings). He wants to stretch out and his coaches want him to stretch out. We were hoping to get four out of him but he was getting a little tired there at the end.”
Even though the Locos are riding a five-game win streak, Ehrnsberger said he feels this team still hasn’t played its best baseball.
“I have really liked this team since putting it together in the fall and now that they are here they are clicking right now. I really do. I’m not sure we have played a full nine inning game yet. But we are playing well enough to get the job done. But that is the only nitpicking I have with the guys. Let’s do it nine innings and not just six.”
