Rams Continue to Struggle
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
The Varsity Rams had four games this past week, wanting to bring an end to their downward trajectory. They entered the week with a record of 4-3.
On Tuesday, April 8, the Rams hosted the 2-2 North Shelby Raiders. The game was deadlocked at 0-0 until the bottom of the 6th inning when Elliott Sevits got the Rams’ offense going with a double. Gage Brownell went one base further with a triple to score Sevits for the only run of the game. Mason Windy also had a hit during the game, making a total of three hits for the Rams.
Brownell started on the mound for the Rams and racked up four strikeouts in his three innings of play. He allowed zero hits, no runs, and had only one walk. Lathan Martin relieved Brownell, pitching four innings, striking out six, and allowing no runs on three hits and one walk.
Ty Bacon was on the mound for the Raiders, he struck out five of the 20 Rams’ batters he faced. While the Rams made contact, they had only three hits to show for their efforts.
However, the run scored in the bottom of the sixth was enough to secure the win for the Rams, 1-0, improving their record to 5-3.
A few days later, on Friday, April 11, the 4-2 Canton Tigers came to Queen City to face the Rams. Note that since 2010, the Rams and the Tigers have met 11 times, the Tigers have won every contest. Not sure why, the Tigers seem to have the Rams’ number. This contest did not reverse that trend.
The Rams stayed consistent with three hits for the evening, one apiece from Brownell, Sevits, and Cohan Meade. Unfortunately for the Rams, three hits were not enough to secure the win versus the Tigers as they scored seven runs on eight hits, four walks, and two errors. The Tigers’ Preston Brewer pitched all seven innings, shutting down scoring for the Rams with 10 strikeouts.
Brownell got the start for the Rams and made it into the top of the seventh inning before he had to be replaced after reaching his pitch count maximum. He faced 28 batters, striking out 10. He allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits and three walks. Sevits came in to close, he faced eight batters and struck out three, however, two of those batters reached first base due to a dropped third strike. He allowed four runs (zero earned) on three hits and one walk.
The 0-7 loss dropped the Rams’ record to 5-4.
The following day, Saturday, April 12, the Rams headed south to play a double-header at Harrisburg.
The first opponent of the day was the 5-3 Montgomery County Wildcats. They had traveled from east of Columbia, in the New Florence area, to be part of the Round Robin of play that day. The first game of the day pitted the Wildcats against the host team, the Harrisburg Bulldogs. The Wildcats were victorious in that game, winning 5-1.
After the field was prepped and refreshed, the second game of the day got underway, Rams vs. Wildcats. The Wildcat got off to a quick start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. However, the Rams’ pitching and defense kept them scoreless for the rest of the game.
Meade got the start for the Rams, pitching all seven innings with two pitches to spare. He allowed three runs (one earned) on five hits and one walk, striking out four of the 28 batters he faced.
This defensive turnaround was not enough to turn the tide of the game, as the Rams only mustered one run in response. The Rams had four hits, one each for Sevits, Windy, Huck Brown, and Marcus Miller. Windy was responsible for the run-batted-in. The game ended in a loss for the Rams, 1-3.
With no time to lick their wounds, the Rams immediately got right back into baseball mode to face the home team, the 3-6 Harrisburg Bulldogs. Both teams got on the board in the first inning; the Rams scored one run, and the Bulldogs took the lead with three.
The Rams chipped away at the lead, scoring another in the top of the third, but the Bulldogs would add another run in the bottom of the fourth to maintain their lead. Both teams scored in the fifth, the Rams added another run to their total. The Bulldogs had a big inning, scoring four more. Then they added another run in the bottom of the sixth.
The Rams used three different pitchers during the game. Lathan Martin started the game and pitched into the fourth inning, he faced 16 batters, allowed four runs (earned) on two hits and three walks, he also recorded five strikeouts. Sevits followed Martin to the mound, pitching for two innings. He faced 17 batters, allowed five runs (one earned) on four hits and five walks. He had four strikeouts for the day.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, with the bases loaded and two outs on the scoreboard, Cace March made his varsity debut. He secured the final out of the inning with a three-pitch strikeout.
However, the score was now 3-9 in favor of the Bulldogs. The Rams needed six runs to send the game to the bottom of the seventh. That is precisely what they did. Brody Weaver got the bats going with a single to third. Then the offense started rolling. In this inning alone, the Rams put together five hits and four RBIs. Their baserunners also took advantage of some passed balls, and the top of the sixth inning ended with the Rams evening up the score, 9 all.
March went back to the mound to finish the game. However, the bottom of the seventh was not as kind to him. The Bulldogs fought back, earning three hits to score the final run of the game, sending the Rams back home with another loss, 9-10.
However, the tale at the plate was much different in this game. The Rams swung away for 11 hits and six RBIs. Windy, Weaver, and Martin each had two hits. Meade, Miller, Brownell, Sevits, and Travis Wise each had one hit. Martin and Meade accounted for four of the RBIs with two apiece, while Windy and Wise claimed the other two.
Despite the rally and the turnaround at the plate, the Rams fell just short of victory. By the end of the day on Saturday, their record dropped to 5-6.
The Rams will be looking to ride the hitting rally from the Harrisburg game into the coming week. They will travel to La Plata and Knox County this week to see if they can turn things around and add a couple of Ws to the win column.
