Piqua snaps Post 129 winning streak
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
HILLSBORO — If Sunday is a day of rest, then Piqua Post 189 didn't get the memo. Piqua outscored the Hillsboro club by 13 runs Sunday afternoon for a 16-3 run-rule victory in seven innings of a scheduled nine-inning game.
Hillsboro has won six striaght games, defeating Post 757 three times, the Chillicothe Capitals twice and the Post 25 Aces.
Piqua started their path to the non-league win in the first inning, forcing 50 pitches to nine batters. They scored five runs, all coming with one out in the inning. In the first, Piqua had two hits, four walks and Hillsboro committed one error.
"There is nothing we can take from this game, so we are just going have to forget this one," Hillsboro head coach Ritchie Butler said. "During our winning streak, our pitching was good, but today when we had 50 pitches in the first inning, and we struggled in the fourth inning … that was all she wrote."
Things didn't improve at all following the first for Hillsboro.
The away team added eight more runs in the top half of the fourth for a 13-1 lead. Piqua added their final runs with one in the fifth and two in the sixth innings, including a solo home run in the fifth inning with two outs.
For Hillsboro, they looked like a completely different team than they did the previous day where they swept Chillicothe Post 757 to break the .500 mark for the first time all season. Sunday's loss drops Post 129 to 20-21 overall.
This was Hillsboro's 13th game in eight days, and they will play their 14th game in nine days tomorrow.
"Playing that many games in that amount of days … it was bound to catch up with us," Butler said.
Piqua gains the season sweep over Hillsboro, defeating Post 129 in the season opener 1-0.
On Sunday, Hillsboro scored one run in the first, followed by a run in the fifth and one in the sixth for their three total runs.
"We had chances to score more runs today, but we couldn't score 16," Butler said.
In the first inning, Tucker Hughes doubled to right field and scored on a double to right field by Cody Shaver.
The second Hillsboro run came on a base hit by Ian Adams, scoring Taylor Smucker with no outs.
Post 129's third and final run came in the sixth with Smucker batting in Matt Carey on an RBI groundout to third base.
The loss went to Jacob Dillon as he pitched 3 2-3 innings. Shaver pitched the remainder of the game in relief.
Piqua collected 13 hits and forced seven total walks in the seven innings played. They were also hit twice, and the Hillsboro defense committed three errors.
Post 129 finished with nine hits, with Smucker going 2-for-2 with one run as he entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Shaver went 2-for-4. Also gaining hits were Adams, Corey Walker, Hughes, Matt Carey and Stephen Pappas. Bryce Bean and Luke Meyer each forced one walk.
Piqua's pitching had five strikeouts, while Hillsboro's pitching duo had six with Shaver gaining four, including striking out the side in the seventh inning.
"We play tomorrow in the league finale, and if our pitching holds up and we play good defense once the district tournament starts, we have a good chance. We play better in close, low-scoring games than games where we have to score a lot of runs. In close games, we've done well this season," Butler said.
Following tomorrow's game against Circleville, Hillsboro will face the same team on Sunday, July 17 at 10 a.m. in the first district game at 10 a.m. at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe.[[In-content Ad]]
Hillsboro has won six striaght games, defeating Post 757 three times, the Chillicothe Capitals twice and the Post 25 Aces.
Piqua started their path to the non-league win in the first inning, forcing 50 pitches to nine batters. They scored five runs, all coming with one out in the inning. In the first, Piqua had two hits, four walks and Hillsboro committed one error.
"There is nothing we can take from this game, so we are just going have to forget this one," Hillsboro head coach Ritchie Butler said. "During our winning streak, our pitching was good, but today when we had 50 pitches in the first inning, and we struggled in the fourth inning … that was all she wrote."
Things didn't improve at all following the first for Hillsboro.
The away team added eight more runs in the top half of the fourth for a 13-1 lead. Piqua added their final runs with one in the fifth and two in the sixth innings, including a solo home run in the fifth inning with two outs.
For Hillsboro, they looked like a completely different team than they did the previous day where they swept Chillicothe Post 757 to break the .500 mark for the first time all season. Sunday's loss drops Post 129 to 20-21 overall.
This was Hillsboro's 13th game in eight days, and they will play their 14th game in nine days tomorrow.
"Playing that many games in that amount of days … it was bound to catch up with us," Butler said.
Piqua gains the season sweep over Hillsboro, defeating Post 129 in the season opener 1-0.
On Sunday, Hillsboro scored one run in the first, followed by a run in the fifth and one in the sixth for their three total runs.
"We had chances to score more runs today, but we couldn't score 16," Butler said.
In the first inning, Tucker Hughes doubled to right field and scored on a double to right field by Cody Shaver.
The second Hillsboro run came on a base hit by Ian Adams, scoring Taylor Smucker with no outs.
Post 129's third and final run came in the sixth with Smucker batting in Matt Carey on an RBI groundout to third base.
The loss went to Jacob Dillon as he pitched 3 2-3 innings. Shaver pitched the remainder of the game in relief.
Piqua collected 13 hits and forced seven total walks in the seven innings played. They were also hit twice, and the Hillsboro defense committed three errors.
Post 129 finished with nine hits, with Smucker going 2-for-2 with one run as he entered the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Shaver went 2-for-4. Also gaining hits were Adams, Corey Walker, Hughes, Matt Carey and Stephen Pappas. Bryce Bean and Luke Meyer each forced one walk.
Piqua's pitching had five strikeouts, while Hillsboro's pitching duo had six with Shaver gaining four, including striking out the side in the seventh inning.
"We play tomorrow in the league finale, and if our pitching holds up and we play good defense once the district tournament starts, we have a good chance. We play better in close, low-scoring games than games where we have to score a lot of runs. In close games, we've done well this season," Butler said.
Following tomorrow's game against Circleville, Hillsboro will face the same team on Sunday, July 17 at 10 a.m. in the first district game at 10 a.m. at VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe.[[In-content Ad]]