By Chris Check                                                                                                                                  NE Regional Scout

LORAIN, OH - A low scoring tight tournament game turned into a wild affair over the last two innings with Amherst Steele eventually defeating Elyria on a bases loaded walk-off walk in the bottom of the seventh inning, 8-7.

There were only eight hits between both teams even though they combined for 15 runs. Both teams combined for seven errors and 17 walks, in a game with an ever shrinking and moving strike zone. Amherst used 5 walks an error and the lone hit, a double by senior third baseman Alex Walts, to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning for a comeback win.

Amherst scored first on two singles to lead off the bottom half of the first inning by junior centerfielder Rees Rua and sophomore Casey McConihe and a walk to three-hole hitter Walts. Senior pitcher Brodie Stewart was about to pitch his way out of the inning, but he threw away an easy come-backer into right field allowing Amherst to score two of its five unearned runs.

Stewart settled down until the fifth inning when he walked the bases loaded and junior pinch hitter Jordan Williams singled in two runs to make it a 4-0 ballgame.

The game looked all but over as Amherst starter left-handed senior Noah Skladan (Mount Union commit) carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning, when after getting the first hitter to fly out the wheels came off for Skladan and Amherst. 

Consecutive line drive singles by unsigned senior center fielder Jacob Csizmadia and junior first baseman Marques Inman chased Skladan from the mound in favor of hard throwing catcher/closer Justin Mott. 

Stewart batting for himself greeted Mott (BGSU commit) with an RBI double.

A walk loaded the bases, followed by an infield error, allowing another run to make it 4-2 with the bases still loaded. Another walk to junior left fielder Brendan Koziura drove in another run. 

With the score 4-3 Amherst and junior shortstop Zack Minney at the plate, a huge play turned the game completely around. 

Mott fielding a ball quickly off the mound rushed his throw from his knees and threw it down the right field line, allowing three runs to score on the play as Minney ended up on third base. Minney later scored on a passed ball to make it 7-4.

Stewart used the momentum to get three quick outs in the bottom of the sixth inning, but couldn’t finish the game in the seventh.

Walts leadoff double in the right center gap chased Stewart in favor of right-handed pitcher Marques Inman.

Two walks loaded the bases followed by two fly outs to centerfield, the second being an RBI sacrifice to make the score 7-5 with runners on first and second.

After a double steal, a game ending ground ball was fielded cleanly but thrown wildly to first allowing two runs to score and the game to be tied.

Three consecutive walks followed, the last to McConihe to score the winning run from third. 

Amherst Plays No. 23 Lakewood St. Edward today at the PipeYard in the District Championship.

Linescore

ELYRIA                             000 007 0 - 7 3 2  
STEELE VARSITY              200 020 4 - 8 5 5

ELYRIA                   AB  R  H RBI   STEELE VARSITY     AB R H RBI
Zack Rosenkoetter     4  0  0    0       Rees Rua                 3  2  1  0  
Jaeger Shaffstall        3  0  0    0       Casey McConihe        4  1  1  1  
Jacob Csizmadia        4  1  1    0       Alex Walts                2  2  2  0  
Marques Inman          3  1  1    0       Justin Mott                2  1  0  0  
Brodie Stewart           4  1  1    1        Kody Bledsoe           3  1  0  0  
Zack Shafffstall          1  1  0    0        Joe Masters              2  0  0  0  
Ben Haywood            3  1  0    1        Jordan Williams        2  0  1  2  
Brendan Koziura        1  1  0    1        Zach Bires                1  0  0  1  
Zack Minney              3  1  0    1        Brad Hagerich          4  1  0  0  
                                                       Aaron Soto               3  0  0  0  
TOTALS                   26  7  3    4           TOTALS               26  8  5  4

 ELYRIA                          IP       H   R   ER  BB  SO
Brodie Stewart                  6       5    5    3     7     3
Marques Inman                0.2      0    3    0     5     0
 STEELE VARSITY             
Noah Skladan                  5.1     2    2    2     4     2
Justin Mott                      1.2     1    5    1     2      2