Truckers win at Bellevue; fall in 10 innings to Defiance
Apr. 18—BELLEVUE — The Norwalk baseball team scored two runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back in Friday's 10-3 win at Bellevue in an SBC Lake Division matchup at Robert Peters Park.
With the win, the Truckers improved to 8-5 overall and 4-2 in the SBC Lake Division, which wraps up the first round of play. Perkins (8-2, 6-0) and Vermilion (8-4, 5-1) are ahead of the Truckers in the standings.
In Friday's win, Sam Battles led off the game with a single and came around to score on an RBI triple by Nate Adelman. Ian Minor followed with a single that scored Adelman for a 2-0 lead. Adelman doubled in the top of the third, then scored on an RBI groundout by Minor for a 3-0 lead.
After the Redmen (3-6, 2-4) answered with a two-run double by Preston Ray in the bottom of the third, the Truckers scored six runs over the next three innings.
Eli Obringer hit a two-run single in the fourth, then Norwalk added a run on an error in the fifth. Battles scored on a passed ball in the sixth, Minor doubled in Adelman again, and Caleb Sommers drove in Minor with a single for a 9-2 lead.
An RBI single by Eli Obringer in the top of the seventh closed out the scoring.
On the mound, Thomas Gfell went all seven innings for Norwalk. He needed just 78 pitches. He allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits with six strikeouts and one walk.
Battles finished 3 for 4 and scored all three times he was on base, while Obringer was 3 for 5 with three RBIs and Minor was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. Sommers also had two hits and an RBI for the Truckers, who face Defiance (7-1) on Saturday in a non-league game at Carter Park in Bowling Green.
Norwalk 201 213 1 — 10 13 1
Bellevue 002 001 0 — 3 4 5
WP: Gfell; LP: Ray
2B: (N) Adelman, Minor; (B) Ray; 3B: (N) Adelman
Defiance 1, Norwalk 0 (10 innings)
DEFIANCE — An unearned run broke the stalemate.
The Truckers (8-6) and Division II powerhouse Defiance were in a scoreless stalemate in the 10th inning, but the Bulldogs got an unearned run in the bottom of the 10th inning for a 1-0 non-league win on Saturday at Carter Park in Bowling Green.
Norwalk was limited to three singles in the loss from Sam Battles, Eli Obringer and Brayson Malson. Jesse Cole walked twice, while Malson, Caleb Sommers, Ian Minor and Nate Adelman each walked once.
Battles reached third base in the first inning, Malson was left at third in the second, and Obringer was stranded at third in the 10th inning.
Buddy Baker threw nine shutout innings for the Truckers, scattering 10 hits while striking out four and walking two. He threw 121 pitches, 77 for strikes. That included 23 first-pitch strikes to 36 batters.
In the 10th inning, Obringer was pitching in relief and recorded two quick outs. After allowing a single, a passed ball advanced the runner to second base, then Obringer hit a batter for two on with two outs.
After a walk loaded the bases, an error on a play at the plate ended the game and gave Defiance (8-1) the win.
Between Gfell's outing on Friday at Bellevue and Saturday's game, Norwalk coach Wes Douglas was pleased with his team's pitching.
"Two great performances from Thomas and Buddy," Douglas said. "Really good team defense both days. It was a tough, tough way to lose today — but we always try to stay aggressive in all facets of the game, and today it didn't work in our favor.
Norwalk will host Tiffin Columbian on Monday in an SBC Lake Division game. The Truckers won the first meeting, 5-2, on March 31 in Tiffin.
"But we are a better team today than we were two days ago," Douglas said. "I'm really proud of our players each day we get to be together. They are solid young men and really good baseball players."
Norwalk 000 000 000 0 — 0 3 1
Defiance 000 000 000 1 — 1 11 3
WP: Jerger; LP: Obringer
