MHS Baseball Team Erases Seven-Run Deficit
In Late Innings To Win 16-13 At Perrysburg
BY KYLE BORCHERS — MIRROR SPORTS
Maumee beat Perrysburg 16-13 in nine innings on Monday, finishing one of the craziest baseball games you’ll ever hear about – one that was suspended due to darkness with the score tied 13-13 after eight innings on April 25.
“Maumee-Perrysburg has always been a great rivalry – and this has to be one of the best games in the history of the rivalry,” said Maumee coach Cam Coutcher.
It was a baffling game in which both teams looked as though they had the win secured in the late innings.
Perrysburg led 9-2 until Maumee scored an amazing eight runs – thanks to three home runs – in the sixth inning to take a 10-9 advantage. Sophomore Cal Reese capped the frame with a three-run poke pulled to right field.
The Yellow Jackets tied the game in the bottom of the sixth, but then the Panthers went up 13-10 in the seventh on an error and then a towering two-run dinger to right-center by sophomore Damon Contat.
Maumee, however, let the lead slip away. After retiring the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh, senior reliever Max Reese (pitching on only one day’s rest) allowed two hits and a walk to load the bases.
Next, a costly infield error brought in two runs to make it 13-12. Senior Neal Linthicum then coaxed a full-count walk to load the bases again.
Finally, the unbelievable Perrysburg comeback was complete when Patterson also drew a full-count walk.
With the bases still loaded, Reese escaped with a groundout to second.
With the sun setting on the evening, both teams had chances in the eighth.
Maumee stranded runners on first and second. Perrysburg loaded the bases with only one out, but junior Corey Kolbow got a fly ball to right and classmate Brian Rahman fired a bee-bee to the plate to freeze the Yellow Jacket on third base.
Finally, Kolbow induced a groundball that shortstop Cal Reese fielded and then he stepped on second for the final out of the night just before 8:30 p.m.
On Monday with one out in the ninth, Max Reese got things started with a little chopper that was perfectly placed for an infield single (Reese then went to second on a passed ball).
Next, after being behind with an 0-2 count, junior Nick Gerschultz lined a go-ahead RBI double down the right-field line to make it 14-13.
With two outs, pinch hitter Ray Parry was intentionally walked after Perrysburg pitcher Blake Schmenk fell behind 3-0.
That played right into Maumee’s hands as Kolbow skied a two-run double to the fence in right-center to give the Panthers a 16-13 advantage.
Then, enter sandman – senior southpaw Mike Mason (who was missing on April 25 for a school-related trip, along with Parry and classmate Jordon Jakacki).
Mason stepped on the mound in the bottom of the ninth and struck out the side in order for the save.
With a full count on the No. 9 batter, Mason got a swinging strikeout on a fastball.
After a 3-0 count on Schmenk, Mason battled back and got a called third strike on a heater.
For the final out, Mason snapped off a pretty curve for a swinging strikeout to end the marathon.
“Kolbow gave us a nice cushion to work with,” Coutcher said. “And it was great to see Mason go out and finish it off the way he did.”
Kolbow finished 2-for-3 with a home run, double and six big ones in the RBI department. He was also the winning pitcher.
Kolbow’s two-run homer got the scoring started in Maumee’s wacky sixth inning. Junior Ryan Williams added a solo shot later in the sixth.
Gerschultz went 3-for-5 with three RBI and three runs scored.
“Gerschultz really came through in the ninth, showing a ton of confidence with two strikes,” Coutcher said.
Cal Reese was 2-for-3 with the three-run jack and he scored twice.
“Cal putting us up in the sixth with that three-run homer was huge,” Coutcher said, “but it was the entire sixth inning that was really the clincher, giving us a lot of confidence.
“I’ve never seen a team respond the way we did. It was great to see us break out like that and show toughness.”
Contat ended up 2-for-5 with three runs and two RBI. Max Reese was 3-for-6 and scored two runs.
Schmenk was 3-for-6 with an RBI and two runs scored. Troy Mugler went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBI for the Yellow Jackets.
Also for Perrysburg, Coe McKinley was 2-for-4 with three runs, an RBI and a double.
Taylor Dimmerling finished 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs.
Schmenk lasted three-plus innings as the starting pitcher and then he re-entered to open the ninth on Monday.
Perrysburg used five pitchers total and Maumee used six.
Other statistics: Maumee had 14 hits, four errors and left 12 on base; Perrysburg had 15 hits, two errors and stranded 15. There were 25 walks total.
Maumee Tennis Team Finishes 4-3 In NLL After Dropping The Last Two Matches
BY KYLE BORCHERS — MIRROR SPORTS
The Maumee tennis team won 5-0 at Whitmer last Monday to finish with an undefeated record versus City League opponents this season.
“We were very fortunate to end up with a 7-0 record against the City League this year,” said Maumee coach Ken Slivka.
“Among the teams we beat, Central, St. Francis, Waite and Clay will be contending for second place behind St. John’s.”
Senior Tyler Cronin shifted over to first singles and won 6-1, 6-2 over Madison.
Sophomore John Russell won 6-0, 6-0 over Dorn in second singles and junior Adam Radtke posted the same score in the third spot versus Dent.
Senior Mick Fagans joined classmate Aaron Buschmann in No. 1 doubles for a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Laser and Brownfield.
In No. 2 doubles, seniors Austin Gray and Nick Kieswether won 6-2, 6-2 over Rowan and Hartman.
Perrysburg 3, Maumee 2
Last Tuesday, Maumee lost 3-2 at Perrysburg, the Northern Lakes League leader up to this point.
Radtke won 6-2, 6-1 over Justin Mills in third singles, the Panthers’ only individual win of the night.
In doubles, Gray and Kieswether fought for a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in the second spot over Adam Harlow and Brundrett.
Buschmann and Cronin lost 3-6, 3-6 to Jeff Kohler and Jon Eckel in first doubles.
“Our team depth almost carried us to the win in this match,” Slivka said.
“Gray and Kieswether got it done in an exciting three-setter and Buschmann and Cronin’s match was much closer than the score indicated.”
In No. 1 singles, Fagans lost 2-6, 2-6 to senior Andy Gunkler.
Russell lost 1-6, 1-6 to David Hoops in No. 2 singles.
BG 3, Maumee 2
The Panthers ended up finishing the NLL regular season on a two-match losing streak to drop its record to 4-3 after falling at Bowling Green last Thursday, 3-2.
Maumee’s wins came from Russell and Radtke in the second and third singles slots, respectively.
Russell rallied to win 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 over Mitchell Bils and Radtke had the easiest time on either team, winning 6-1, 6-2 over Alden Carney.
Radtke closes with a 14-1 regular season record, 6-1 in the NLL, and Russell is 10-5 (5-2 NLL).
Fagans was down 0-3 in the first set but then won the next two games; however, he ended up losing 4-6, 3-6 to Alex Carney.
Both doubles matches were very back-and-forth.
In No. 2 doubles, Gray and Kieswether fell victim to a BG rally, losing 6-1, 5-7, 2-6 to Nate Brotzki and Alex Simon.
With the overall team score tied 2-2, it all came down to No. 1 doubles.
Cronin and Buschmann had several chances to stay alive late in the first set, but they ended up losing 4-6 to Lewis Johnson and Davood Dadfar.
The Panthers duo was down 4-5 and 5-6 in the second set before winning in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (7-5).
The pivotal point of the match, though, came when the third set was tied 2-2 and Maumee was up 40-love but ended up dropping the game to make it 2-3, eventually losing 3-6.
Bowling Green won the final two games after both were in deuce.
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