Gray throws 1-hitter as Bears blank Vermilion 1-0

CASTALIA — One run didn't feel like enough. But with what Zach Gray was doing inning after inning, it proved to be sufficient for the Margaretta baseball team. Gray struck out 14 and allowed just one hit as the Polar Bears toughed out a 1-0 Sandusky Bay Conference Bay Division win over Vermilion on Thursday at Lions Park. The game took just 90 minutes to complete. "I feel good before every game," Gray said. "I warm up a lot. Usually, I settle in after the first inning. I had two walks in the first inning, but settled in after that." The win keeps Margaretta (11-4, 7-1 SBC Bay) tied atop the league standings with Edison (11-3, 7-1). "Whether it's 1-0 or 14-0, it was a big conference win for us," Polar Bears coach Ray Neill said. "We're still in the running." Gray's toughest inning did come in the first inning. After Margaretta scored a run in the top of the frame, Gray walked Noah Penton and Trey Colahan. But, he got a fielder's choice for the third out of the inning. Gray got on a roll from there. He struck out two batters in each of the next two innings and struck out the side in the fifth. At one point, he put 14 straight batters away. "He was on today," Vermilion coach Gehrig Gabrie said. "I was telling our guys that if he buried us in counts, we were in trouble. His curveball was on. He was going to it on first pitch, second pitch, 2-0 and 3-0. That was his get-me-over pitch. We just couldn't time it up today." Penton got the only hit of the day for the Sailors (4-8, 3-5) when he singled with one out in the sixth inning. Gray bounced back to get his 11th strikeout of the day and induced a groundout to get out of the inning. "I like to be in a rhythm," Gray said. "I do bands between innings, so I keep my arm warm. I do seem to do better as the game goes on." Gray slammed the door shut in the seventh inning by again striking out the side. He got the first two batters on 3-2 pitches before striking out his 14th batter, this one looking, to end the big win for the Polar Bears. "He was zoned in," Neill said. "He had his fastball and curveball working for him and had command of both. He made some big 3-2 pitches in the seventh inning." Gray was part of the only run of the game in the first inning. Playing as the visitor in Castalia due to wet fields in Vermilion, Margaretta batted first and jumped on Sailors pitcher Adam Gerber. Gray beat out an infield single before stealing second base. He went to third on a sacrifice bunt from Bren Smith. Gerber got the second out of the inning, but Emmett Leibengood singled into center to score Gray and put Margaretta up 1-0. The Polar Bears had more chances, but Gerber made some big pitches to keep within striking distance. In the fourth inning, Carter Kelley walked, stole second and went to third on a groundout. Gray was intentionally walked and stole second, giving Margaretta two runners in scoring position. Gerber tallied a strikeout to avoid further damage. In the seventh, the Polar Bears had runners on first and third when Brody Morrow turned a 6-3 double play on a grounder to keep the deficit at one run. Gerber allowed just four hits in the complete-game effort. "That's Adam," Gabrie said. "He's not going to overpower you with a fastball or anything, but he's really good at controlling the game. He controlled their run game well when he did let guys on. He just pounds the strike zone. Our defense showed up today." The Sailors are scheduled to travel to Avon Lake on Friday. "We have to get out on the field as much as we can," Gabrie said. "Today we tried a new lineup. We had a freshman behind the plate in Brady Myers. He did a very good job. We put Ryan Beck at first base and put our normal first baseman in the outfield. We're trying to find that lineup for postseason time." The Polar Bears host Mohawk in a non-league doubleheader Saturday. Margaretta's pursuit of its first league title in 32 years continues Wednesday at Huron. "We got a two-out base hit in the first inning and it ends up standing up," Neill said. "Both teams played well. For the few defensive chances we had, we got outs. They made three or four good defensive plays during the course of the game to keep us at one run. Kudos to Vermilion for playing very, very well today." Margaretta 100 000 0 — 1 4 0 Vermilion 000 000 0 — 0 1 0 WP: Gray. LP: Gerber.