By Alex Schillig
PBR Ohio Assistant Scouting Director

BLOOM CARROL, OH – Over the weekend, a rematch of last year’s Division III State Semifinal Game took place as the DIII No. 12 Hamilton Badin Rams traveled to DII No. 1 Bloom Carroll.  For the second straight week now, Bloom Carroll has held onto the top Division II spot with a perfect 8-0 record.

Badin understood runs were going to be hard to come by when they learned that right handed pitcher Sam Bordner (Louisville Commit, pictured right) was going to take the mound.  In attempt to gain momentum on the road, Badin got off to a quick start. 

In the top of the first, the Rams manufactured the first run of the game when first baseman Zach Gray hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield.  This allowed leadoff hitter Matt Kreke to tag from third and score; giving the Rams a confidence building 1-0 lead. 

Unfortunately for the Rams they did not keep the lead long, as Bloom Carroll took advantage of some defensive miscues. 

Things got started for the Bulldogs when leadoff hitter Tyler Sorg reached base after being hit by a pitch.  This brought up Seton Hill Commit Jarrett Peters who smoked an RBI double in the gap, plating Sorg.  From there the wheels started to fall off for the Badin Rams.  Two errors by the Badin infield allowed two Bulldog runners to score, and then Senior Scott Baker stroked an RBI single stretching the home teams lead to 4-1. 

Bloom Carroll’s big first inning really swung the momentum in their favor, which allowed Bulldog pitcher Sam Bordner to settle in.  

Consistently sitting in the mid-to-high 80’s, Bordner cruised through the second, third, and fourth innings. 

In the fifth, Bordner recorded two quick outs, but struggled to find command after that, as he walked the bases load.  Bulldog Head Coach Brian Thacker called on junior right handed pitcher Bailey Freas, who managed to get out of the inning with their 4-1 lead still intact.

The Bulldog lineup went back to work in the bottom of the sixth.  Looking from some insurance runs, Bulldog infielders Chase Cattran and Brandon Bussert both reached safely, and was followed by a Tyler Sorg bunt single which loading the bases with no outs.  By the end of the inning, both Cattran and Bussert had come around to score giving Bloom Carroll a comfortable 6-1 lead.

With the pressure on in the seventh, Badin hitters were able to string together three straight singles loaded the bases.  Bloom Carroll reliever Corey Stanley put a halt to the opposing lineup after giving up two runs, keeping the Bulldogs perfect start alive as they now move to 8-0 with a 6-3 victory.  

To view scouting notes about games across Ohio, please visit the Ohio High School Scouting Blog. The blog gets updated throughout the week.

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