Sandusky forces extra inning, but falls 8-7 to Southview

SANDUSKY — Sandusky rallied in the bottom of the sixth and seventh innings, but Sylvania Southview won the eighth. Southview pushed across a run in the top of the eighth and kept the Blue Streaks off the board in the bottom half of the inning to pull out an 8-7 win in a Division III baseball tournament opener Tuesday that lasted 2 hours, 54 minutes. The weather conditions at Bill Deming Field were more conducive to a March scrimmage — chilly, wind, rain — but the game picked up a definite tournament feel as it wore on. "These guys fought," Sandusky coach Zack Moots said after an emotional postgame huddle with his team. "We've been trying to change some of our culture and keep Sandusky baseball going. These guys have done it. It's a good core, but unfortunately it's the last time (seven seniors) will play in a Blue Streak jersey. They've helped us move that way." Southview (12-15), which plays in the Northern Lakes League Cardinal Division, led 4-1 heading into the bottom of the sixth. Sandusky, the No. 5 seed in the Oak Harbor District, rallied with five runs to take a 6-4 lead. Deyker Inciarte reached on an error, Dillon Crawford singled and Mykell Ott bunted for a run. After a hit batter and groundout by Keelan Lockhart brought the Streaks to within 4-3, freshman pinch-hitter Amaree Mack lined a single into right field to give Sandusky a 5-4 lead. "Mack really likes to pull the ball," Moots said. "For him to hit one that way to score those runs was a huge spot for him." Pinch-runner Landon Parker scored on an error off a Dante Shipp Jr. to make it 6-4. Shipp had two of the Streaks' five hits. The Cougars responded with three runs in the top of the seventh as Crawford, who came on in relief of starter Rocco D'Amico, had to pitch during the heaviest rain of the day. A single by leadoff batter Lucas Girlie, who finished with two hits and reached base five times, started the Southview rally. Four walks and a couple wild pitches followed to give Southview a 7-6 lead. "We kept tossing balls out there after they were in the dirt and getting wet — just kind of slimy," Moots said. "Unfortunately we handed them a couple runs there. "You don't want it to happen to a guy like (Crawford) because he's been there for us the last two years. It was a rough patch and it happens in baseball." D'Amico threw 109 pitches in six innings and did not allow an earned run, but six Sandusky errors hurt the home team, which finished the season 14-12. D'Amico walked to lead off the bottom of the seventh and scored on a wild pitch by Southview reliever Luke Hermiller, who retired the Streaks in order in the bottom of the eighth. Hermiller, who will pitch for Adrian College, relieved started Ryan Ragusa, who will pitch for Lourdes University, in the big Sandusky sixth. "He tweaked a (hamstring) a couple weeks ago," Southview coach Tim McCarthy said of Hermiller. "We were trying to give him a little more time to rest, but we knew if it got close we were gonna have to go to him. Sandusky scraped and clawed and took advantage of a dropped popup. That was a battle till the end." Southview scored the winning run after Girlie walked to lead off the eighth. After a single by Jacob Huss, Ryan DeShetler delivered an RBI single. It was the final high school game for Sandusky seniors D'Amico, Crawford, Inciarte, Parker, Lockhart, Dennarius Walk and Adryaan Hollingshed. "It's hard to see it go down like that," Moots said. "That's a good team; they play in a tough league. They're battle-tested and have some good arms. "We gotta make plays. We handed them a few runs early and had a couple base running mistakes." Southview, the No. 6 seed in the nine-team Oak Harbor District, will travel to fourth-seeded Bowling Green on Thursday. The Cougars will get one day of rest before hitting the road for a much shorter trip. "I looked at the radar it looked like a blip from 1 to 3 and another from 5 till whenever," McCarthy said. "We had to leave school early to avoid the traffic so we were gonna get on a bus no matter what. I was 50-50 whether we'd play or not." Southview 101 002 31 — 8 6 2Sandusky 000 015 10 — 7 5 6 WP: Hermiller. LP: Crawford