By Mike Varner
Southwest Regional Correspondent 

WEST CHESTER, OHIO- In a battle of division rivals, Middletown (7-3) took down home team Lakota West (4-6) by a score of 7-6.

The game showcased two of the areas top 2014 starting pitchers, LHP Grant Schuermann (2-1) of Lakota West and Andrew Burton (4-0) of Middletown.

As the fourth inning rolled around and lineups turned over, opposing hitters began to time up both pitchers, adding some offensive firepower to the game.

Middletown’s Jonathan Stone (Marietta recruit), who went 3 for 3 with a RBI and two runs scored, led off the fourth inning with a hard liner to right. Senior outfielder Matt Current then walked, followed by a senior shortstop Andrew Lykins, who was hit by a pitch. Freshman designated hitter Connor Patterson singled home the first run, and junior Garrett Downing followed with an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

Lakota West didn’t sit idle as they scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Sophomore first baseman J.J. Johnson, who went 3 for 3 with two RBIs, singled in the right center field gap scoring one. Junior right fielder Blaine Griffiths singled in the fourth run.

Middletown regained the lead in the fifth on a two run double to deep right center by Current.

However, Lakota West tied it up quickly with another RBI single by J.J. Johnson.

In the top of the sixth inning, Lakota West senior RHP AP Novak relieved Schuermann and took the loss giving up two runs on three hits with one walk.

Downing led off the inning with a double down the left field line and scored when senior second baseman Ryan Kessler capitalized with a RBI doule. Middletown’s last run of the inning came on a single by unsigned senior center fielder Aquiles Estepan, who also showed exceptional defensive skills.

With Middletown leading 7 to 5 in the bottom of the seventh, Lakota West sophomore third baseman Ronnie Murphy reached base on the games only error and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice. He later scored on a single by senior outfielder Ryan Addington. With two outs, senior outfielder Matt Anderson singled to center and advanced to second base on an ill advised throw from the outfield trying to get Addington at third.

With the tying and winning runs in scoring position with two outs, sophomore second baseman Austin Allinger came to the plate. Allinger, who earlier drove three balls to the fence, couldn’t deliver the big hit this time around as he  popped up to Burtons on his first offering to end the game.

Both team play again on Wednesday with Middletown traveling to Lakota East (10-3) and Lakota West hosting Fairfield (8-4).

To view scouting notes from this game, please visit the Ohio High School Scouting Blog. The blog gets updated throughout the week. 

To discuss this game, please visit our partner JJHuddle.