Hermes throws two-hitter, Edison moves into tie atop SBC Bay

MILAN TWP. — Margaretta has seen enough of Eli Hermes. The junior left-hander allowed only two hits and threw a complete game to lead Edison to a 2-0 win over Margaretta on Thursday. The Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division is now tied at the top with the Chargers and Polar Bears both 5-1 after splitting the season series. "Every one after the last time we played them was a must-win — that's all there was to it," Edison coach Sean Hoover said. "We couldn't let them get two up. There's only 10 league games and you don't want to go down two. All we did was get ourselves tied back on top. If we take care of business, we have a chance to win it." Hermes struck out 12 and has not allowed a run in 19 innings on the mound this spring. He threw five shutout innings against Margaretta on April 6 before the Bears rallied for a 3-2 win in eight innings. This time, he stayed on the mound. "Last time, I had a rough first inning so it was good to get a quick one (1-2-3 first inning on Thursday) so I could finish the game at the end," Hermes said. Hermes faced only 19 batters in the first six innings, but had to work in the seventh. With one out, Hunter Grahl worked a walk. With two out, Mason Kromer walked. Hermes responded with his third strikeout of the inning on a 78-degree day. "I wasn't tired. I wasn't finishing, wasn't getting over my front side," he said. "Everything was missing up a little bit. We made an adjustment. I settled down and we got the win." Like Hermes, Margaretta's Zach Gray threw a two-hitter. He struck out seven, walked one and hit one batter. Edison, which is 9-3 overall and has won six straight, got the all-important first run in the bottom of the first inning. Cole Leimeister singled with one out and moved to second on a Chaz Smith walk. A passed ball moved up the runners and Hermes grounded to second to score Leimeister. "It's a lot different if it's nothing-nothing in the fifth inning," Hoover said. "You get that lead and know Eli is throwing well, to push one across early is big because it kinda lets everyone sit back and relax." Edison added its second run in the third after Bryson Wittmer reached on an error. He stole second and advanced to third when the ball hit him. After Margaretta catcher Memphis McKenzie caught Smith trying to steal second for the second out, a wild pitch allowed Wittmer to give Edison a 2-0 lead. "Really good pitchers duel," Margaretta coach Ray Neill said. "In the innings they scored, we had a wild pitch or a passed ball that helped get an unearned run across the plate. Those two little things led to their two runs. They scratched those two runs across and Eli Hermes put nothing but goose eggs up." Carter Kelley singled twice — Margaretta's only hits. After leading off the top of the third with a sharp base hit, he was caught stealing by Edison catcher Tristian Wetherill. "Tristian threw him out and that helped me get back to attacking hitters and get out of there quick," Hermes said. "Gotta always trust Tristian. I know he'll block stuff in the dirt, make good throws all around and throw a guy out in a big spot." Hermes struck out seven Bears in the third, fourth and fifth innings and didn't walk a batter until the seventh. "The biggest thing is his mound presence," Hoover said. "If he doesn't get a call, he doesn't care. He takes the ball and throws the next pitch and is confident in his pitch. He throws every pitch like that, like it's gonna be the best pitch he throws. "He's got three good pitches and can keep hitters off-balance. That makes it looks like he has a little more giddy-up on the fastball than maybe he does. It's a change of speed and he does it well." Margaretta, which dropped to 8-4 overall, didn't get a runner in scoring position until the final inning. "We didn't give ourselves many chances offensively," Neill said. "When two good teams get together and you have two arms out there, it's who takes advantage of a subtle mistake. "We came here today in first place by ourselves. We're leaving here today tied for first place with a very good team. We control our own destiny in winning a share or outright conference title." Edison's second hit came in the seventh inning when Smith singled. Gray responded with a strikeout and a popup. "It was two good pitchers and both threw very well," Hoover said. "They did a good job keeping the batters guessing and we were able to scratch a couple single runs across." Margaretta is off this weekend and hosts Port Clinton on Monday. Edison visits Tiffin Columbian on Saturday before getting back in the Bay with a home game Monday against Vermilion. "We knew this was a must-win if we want to capture our fifth league title in a row," Hermes said. "Now we're in the driver's seat. We've gotta win out and we're league champs again." Margaretta 000 000 0 — 0 2 2 Edison 101 000 x — 2 2 0 WP: Hermes. LP: Gray.