By Chris Rutz
Regional Scout

GROVE CITY - The two teams that found themselves at the top of the OCC-Ohio standings heading into the last week of the season squared off for a hard fought first place battle. Gahanna Lincoln sent their ace and 2015 RHP Mason Daniels (Elon recruit) to the mound to face unsigned 2014 LHP/OF Ben Myers (pictured right).

After a 1-2-3 top of the first, the Greyhounds struck first in the bottom half of the inning. After a single by leadoff OF 2014 Tyler Cowles (Sinclair recruit), Ben Myers was thrown out on a hit and run that pushed Cowles to third. A hard hit liner to short by clean up hitter 2014 Jake Norbit just got by the shortstop and lead to the Greyhounds inking the first run of the game.

Gahanna and Grove City were up and down until the bottom of the third as some small ball and timely hitting paid off for the Greyhounds.

A single followed by a walk and sac bunt left runners at second and third for cleanup man Jake Norbit once again, and just like his previous at bat, he came through. Norbit drove a Daniels curveball into right field for bases clearing double. 2015 OF Peyton Bowyer followed by inside outing a ball for a double down the line to right field scoring Norbit and advancing the third on the throw. A passed ball would end up plating one more run after a HBP and a walk forced Daniels to rely on his big breaker to get him out of the inning.

Grove City would enter the top of the fourth inning with a 5-0 lead and 

Gahanna would answer in the top of the fourth as Ben Myers would face his first sort of trouble.

A self-inflicted walk and HBP led to a 6-4 fielder’s choice plating Gahanna's first run of the game. A great over the shoulder catch by ’15 IF Gage Kavy ended the threat keeping Gahanna to one run in their half of the inning. 

The same pattern of walks and hit batsmen would get Myers into trouble once again in the top of the fith as Gahanna would plate two runs after an error and a single making the score now 5-3.

The score remained at 5-3 until the top of the seventh as both teams searched for a way to win.

Grove City chose to bring in their closer 2015 RHP Chase Antle to shut the door on Gahanna.

However, Gahanna rallied as ’15 INF Brad Hull (Oakland recruit) would scorch a ball to short where it would take a circus hop over the shortstop into left field putting the tying run at the plate. Hull would eventually steal second and Antle would rebuttal with a strikeout of his own.

With one out and a man on second, cleanup hitter ’16 Doland Martin came up to the plate. Martin took a 1-1 fastball from Antle and sent it high into the air to left. What looked like a dramatic game tying home run, was brought back into orbit by 2014 OF Tyler Cowles (Sinclair recruit) as he leaped and extended over the left field wall.

Antle would use this spark to end the game on another strikeout, secure the win for the Greyhounds, and earned them a first place standing atop their OCC division.

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