by Dan Timmerman,
Game 9 – Tuesday April 14 vs. Walnut Hills at Roselawn Park Sports Complex
The Loveland Tigers got back on track Tuesday with a 5-3 win over Walnut Hills at the beautiful Roselawn Park Sports Complex.
The Tigers took a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the 1st beginning with a lead-off double by Luke Waddell and a walk to Jay Wilson. After a wild pitch advanced both into scoring position, Colton Lakes drove them both in to score with a single.
The Eagles fought back in the bottom of the 3rd on back to back singles, followed by 3 walks and an infield single to take a 3-2 lead. But that lead was short lived as the Tigers tied the game in their next at bat on an RBI fielder’s choice by Cal Conley after Drew Steinbrunner walked, Cade Woolston was hit by a pitch and both advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Luke Waddell. In the 6th Loveland took the lead for good beginning with a 
walk to Woolston and a 2 run double into the left-center field fence by Conley.
After struggling in the 3rd inning Drew Steinbrunner (W, 3-0) bounced back shutting out the Eagles from that point on into the 7th to get the win before giving way to Chris Dombroski (SV, 2) who got the final 2 outs of the game to pick a save.
Loveland’s record improves to 2-1 in the ECC, 7-2 overall.
Pitching: WP- Steinbrunner 3-0, SV- Dombroski 1. Hitting: Waddell 2-4, 2B, 2 R; Conley 2B, 3 RBI; Lakes 1-2, 2 BB, 2 RBI; Steinbrunner 1-3, R.
Game 10 – Wednesday April 15 vs. Turpin at Dave Evans Field, LHS
The Loveland Tigers hosted Turpin Wednesday and won in a romp, 17-4.
Turpin got off to a fast start scoring 3 runs off Loveland’s Mitch Robinson (W, 2-1) in the top of the first inning. But from that point on the sophomore pitcher settled in yielding only one unearned run in the 3rd for a fine performance and earning his 2nd win of the season.
Loveland got a run in the 1st on a single by Jay Wilson, a wild pitch and an RBI single by Colton Lakes. In the 3rd the Tigers broke the game open sending 17 batters to the plate and scoring 11 runs. Singles by Luke Waddell, Cal Conley were followed by RBI singles by Lakes and Josh Meszaros. Adam Beran singled. Chris Sackett brought Lakes home with a sacrifice fly. Cade Woolston continued the hit parade with an RBI single plating Meszaros. Waddell walked in his second at bat of the inning scoring Beran. Conley followed with his second hit of the inning driving in Steinbrunner, Woolston and Waddell. Wilson knocked Conley in with a hit, Lakes and Meszaros were each hit by pitches. Wilson and Lakes scored on an error by the SS on a ball hit by Beran.
In the 4th the Tigers put up 5 more runs beginning with a walk to Steinbrunner, a hit by Woolston and a single by Waddell. Conley singled again scoring Steinbrunner and Woolston. Wilson doubled scoring Waddell and Conley. Wilson advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Meszaros.
Loveland’s record improves to 3-1 in the ECC, 8-2 overall.
Pitching: WP- Robinson 2-1. Hitting: Conley 3-4, 3 R, 5 RBI; Waddell 2-3, 3 R; Wilson 3-4, 3 R, 2 RBI; Lakes 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI; Woolston 2-3, 2 R, RBI; Beran 1-2, R, RBI; Meszaros R, RBI; Sackett RBI; Steinbrunner 2 R.
Game 11 – Thursday April 16 Loveland at Milford
The Milford Eagles continued their mastery over the Tigers with a 7-1 victory Thursday afternoon at Milford High School to sweep the season series. The Eagle offense scored a single run in every inning except the 2nd, when they didn’t score, and the 3rd when they scored 3.
The Tigers offense looked sharper against the than they did earlier in the week but were unable to string hits together and often saw hard hit balls go directly at a Milford fielder. Loveland finally pushed their single run across the plate, down 6-0, in the 5th on
Loveland’s record goes to 3-2 in the ECC, 8-3 overall.
Hitting:
Conley 3-4, 3 R, 5 RBI; Waddell 2-3, 3 R; Wilson 3-4, 3 R, 2 RBI; Lakes 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI; Woolston 2-3, 2 R, RBI; Beran 1-2, R, RBI; Meszaros R, RBI; Sackett RBI; Steinbrunner 2 R.
Game 12 – Friday April 17 Loveland at Turpin
The Loveland Tigers traveled to Turpin Friday for a game which went back and forth before losing to the Spartans, 6-5.
As happened on Wednesday Turpin once again got off to a quick start scoring 3 runs in the 1st inning. The Tigers got 1 of those back in the 2nd when Colton Lakes doubled high off of the extended fence in left-center and then advanced to 3rd on a wild pitch. A ground out by Josh Meszaros brought Lakes home. In the 4th Loveland scored another run when Jay Wilson crushed a Spartan offering over the right-center field fence for a home run to make the score 3-2. The Tigers took the lead in the 5th beginning with a single by Chris Sackett and a sacrifice by Drew Steinbrunner moving Blake Schlesner, running for Sackett, to 2nd. Luke Waddell hit a clutch 2 out single to bring in Schlesner and tie the game at 3-3. Waddell then stole 2nd and a pitch later 3rd, coming home to score on a bad throw to 3rd, to take a 4-3 lead. Turpin tied the game in the bottom of the 5th on a base hit after hit by pitch. Loveland went up again in the top of the 6th on an RBI double by Chris Sackett, after a HBP to Lakes and a walk to Adam Beran, scoring Lakes but with Beran getting thrown out at the plate. The Spartans tied the score at 6 with 2 doubles, then puched across the winning run in the 7th on a clean single to left after the bases were loaded on 2 fielding errors and a walk.
Loveland’s record in the ECC evens at 3-3, 8-4 overall.
Hitting: Waddell 2-4, R, RBI; Wilson 1-4, HR, R, RBI; Lakes 1-2,2B, 2 R; Sackett 2-3, 2B, RBI; Steinbrunner 1-2, S: Schlesner R (PR for Sackett).
