Baseball | Aurora's season ends with hard-luck tournament loss at Lake

One bad inning can be a giant killer in baseball and for Aurora, that damaging inning came in the bottom of the fifth inning as host Lake scored all of its runs to capture a Division I sectional final game, 4-3, on May 19.

Aurora led 2-0 with a run pushed across in the second and third frames in Uniontown.

That lead in a pitchers' duel lasted until the fifth inning.

For most of the season, Aurora’s defensive play has been solid, if not outstanding at times, but it proved costly in Lake's four-run fifth inning.

In all, Aurora had three miscues in the infield and sixth-seeded Lake took advantage.

“I think for six innings we were the better team, but this was a very good pitchers' duel, but we had some errors and mental mistakes that hurt,” said Aurora's first-year coach, Trent Dalton.

“We did what we needed to do for six innings and you have to give hats off to Lake,” added Dalton. “One inning can get you and it did. We outhit them, but they are a good team and they did the little things.”

Aurora, the 15th seed which outhit Lake 8-3, had the lead and junior Ben Schecterman was throwing a gem — he finished with a complete-game three-hitter, striking out 10, and only walking one batter.

The Ohio State commit flashed his deep skill set as Schecterman also had two singles and a run scored offensively.

A southpaw and Aurora’s ace with low 90-per mile velocity, Schecterman (3-1 this year with one save) was only tagged with two earned runs in his impressive 88-pitch outing.

“Every pitch was working for Ben and it was a great pitching matchup,” said Dalton as Lake’s Connor Campbell, a Mount Union commit, got the complete-game victory.

Campbell pitched his seventh complete game of the season. He allowed eight hits and two earned runs with four strikeouts and only one walk.

“Ben has a very good slider that looks like a fastball and it is so effective because it is deceptive to the hitters,” said Dalton. “It looks like a fastball and then it breaks off.”

Lake moved to 16-10 and was scheduled to play in a district semifinal against 16th-seed Boardman at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton Tuesday, May 24.

Aurora’s season ended at 14-7 overall, along with a Suburban League American Conference championship at 11-3.

“It was a disappointing loss, but the guys handled it well,” said Dalton. “Our young men accepted the outcome and handled it extremely well, and that is a win for us and the program. I could not be more proud of the kids.”

Junior right fielder Nathan Balkissoon had a leadoff triple for the Greenmen. It was his third triple of the season.

“That was a big leadoff triple by Balkissoon,” said Dalton. “Nathan gave us some energy.”

In addition, senior first baseman Tyler Fernandez continued his hot bat with a pair of singles in three at-bats, an RBI, a run and a sacrifice fly.

Ryan Weber, a senior center fielder, hit a double and scored the other Aurora run, while junior third baseman Sam Retton had one RBI and a hit as did junior Sam Bianco.

“Fernandez the hit the ball well and he has hit the ball all season long,” said Dalton.

For Lake, Ty Perrin and Caleb Collins each had a crucial RBI.

“Our senior class is fantastic and they did a great job all season,” said Dalton.

Aurora will miss a potent senior class with Weber, injured catcher Kepler Rhoden, pitcher Colin Skolaris, Fernandez, second baseman Anthony Dolata, left fielder Jack Cardaman, plus versatile subs in Hunter Lane and A.J. Alexander, and pitcher Aidan Grubb.

The Greenmen beat fourth-seed Warren Harding 9-5 in the first round of the tournament.

Skolaris earned the win on the mound over Harding (4-19) by allowing one hit in four innings of work. He walked four batters but struck out seven on 88 pitches.

Sophomore Zach Williams (2⅓ innings) and junior Nolan Just (1 inning) tossed scoreless work in relief of Skolaris. Williams fanned two and didn’t allow a hit.

Errors on defense helped Aurora while Weber came up big on offense with three RBIs on two hits, including a triple.

Sophomore Dominic Trivisonno, filling in for Rhoden behind the dish, knocked in two runs with a pair of doubles, and two runs scored.

Shortstop Andrew Eichenauer, a junior, also had two RBIs, two hits and two runs in the home victory.

Balkissoon had two hits and two runs while Dolata had one RBI, a hit, and a run, plus the clutch-hitting Bianco scored twice and had a single.

Dolata, Weber and Eichenauer each stole one base against Harding, which was led by Justin Abel, who had a two-run single to center field.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Aurora Greenmen baseball defeated Warren Harding in OHSAA tournament