Joes Come From Behind to Win Game Two, 8-4

The Hamilton Joes travel to Celina, Ohio, as they try to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Grand Lake Mariners. The series is 1-0 in favor of the Mariners as they won game one yesterday, 7-1. 

Both starting pitchers, Dale Ellis and Bryce Eggleton, tossed a couple of scoreless frames to start the game. Preston Zumwalt would be the first baserunner of the third inning for the Joes as he drew a walk. He would steal second and be in the perfect position to score on an AJ Gunder base hit to right field to be the game's first run. Mariners would come out swinging in the bottom half of the third with two base hits to start their inning. CJ Filipek would ground into a double play, but Landon Tiesing would be able to make it to third with two outs. He would come around to score from a base hit from Forrest Day to even up the game at 1-1. 

Ellis would get into a bit of trouble in the fourth. He would find himself with one out and runners on the corners with Noah Drake standing at the plate. He would single to right to bring in the go-ahead run and take the lead. Brandt Kendall would come up to hit later in the inning, and he would triple to right field to bring home two more runs as the Mariners would now lead 4-1. 

The Joe’s offense would respond in the top of the fifth. Zumwalt would reach on a fielder's choice with two outs. Ryder Kirtley would walk to have two runners, one for Gundler. Gundler would cash in again with a double into right field to bring in both runners and cut the Mariners’ lead to one. 

Joe’s weren’t done scoring yet as they would step on the gas in the sixth. Peter Heintz would single to start the inning. Alex Koelling would double next, and runners would be in scoring position. Parker Falkenstein would chain the third straight hit, being a single to score Heintz and Koelling to take the lead. Owen McKoon would single, and Falkenstein would go first to third. Alec Halter would lay down a perfect bunt to score Falkenstein and beat out the throw to first. Zumwalt would single to load the bases, and Kirtley would score two more off a base hit and the seventh straight hit of the inning. Joes would take the lead 8-4. 

The Bullpen would shut the game down. Great performances from Dean Brown and Cameron Novak, throwing four scoreless innings as they would wrap up the win for the Joes, 8-4. Joes will be back tomorrow for the deciding game three against the Grand Lake Mariners.