Bulldogs open with sweep

CELINA - The 2016 baseball season was a mixed bag for Celina with the exception of one key statistic: the win column.

The Bulldogs posted a doubleheader sweep in the season lidlifter with wins of 8-1 and 4-3 over Ayersville on Saturday afternoon at Montgomery Field.

The opener featured a stellar pitching effort from Celina senior C.J. Kimmel. The finale saw Celina struggle early but rally with two runs in the fifth and a much-needed insurance run in the sixth to complete the sweep.

"We'll take it," Celina coach Andy Mikesell said. "Second game we went into a lull.

Celina returns to action today against Fort Recovery at Montgomery Field.
Game One

Kimmel was efficient in his complete-game victory, throwing 81 pitches with 59 coming over as strikes. The senior did not walk a batter and struck out four.

"When he's throwing strikes, he's tough," Mikesell said of Kimmel. "(Opponents) hit him now and then, but when he hits his spots, he's in good shape."

The lone hiccup of the game came in the top of the third when Eric Engel reached base when a third strike pitch was wild. One out later, Jake Miller doubled in Engel to put the Pilots up 1-0.

The Bulldogs wasted little time in offering a response. With one out, Kole Murlin at third and Seth Lonsway at first, Justin Keeling bunted down the first base line on a squeeze play to score Murlin. After Isaiah Eichler walked, Kimmel helped his own cause with a triple down the right field line, clearing the bases. Kimmel made it 4-1 by scoring on a wild pitch.

After Tanner Freeman scored in the fourth, Celina added three more runs in the fifth. Kevin McGohan had an RBI single to score Kimmel and Freeman and Murlin had RBI doubles.

"Seemed like every inning, or every other inning, we were putting pressure on," Mikesell said. "We had runners in scoring position and making their pitcher work."

Kimmel worked out of a fifth inning jam with runners on second and third, but finished the game with seven straight outs.

Murlin, Freeman and McGohan each had two hits for Celina. Miller had both of Ayersville's hits.
Game Two

The Pilots picked up one run in the top of the first and another in the second off of starter Shawn Rose, who struggled to go just 1 1/3 innings before McGohan came on to get out of a jam. After the second inning, McGohan worked out of trouble in the third, fourth and fifth innings while keeping Ayersville scoreless.

Celina got a run back in the third on a Murlin RBI double to score Rose, but the chance to tie the game was halted when the Pilots got an out at the plate when Murlin tried to score on a Keeling hit.

After a scoreless fourth, Celina went ahead in the fifth. With Rose at third and Keeling second, Eichler grounded to short, but the throw to first was wild, allowing Rose and Keeling to score to make it 3-2.

"We like putting the pressure on, getting the runners moving and making (Ayersville) make plays," Mikesell said. "We did a good job of that today."

A much-needed insurance run came in the sixth after McGohan walked and pinch-runner Caleb Green stole second. Smalley bunted his to first for a single, but the throw to first was wild, allowing Green to dash home.

McGohan tried to close out the game but after walking Jacob Kahle to start the top of the seventh, Mikesell called on Lonsway to wrap up the game. Lonsway, however, struggled, giving up back-to-back hits to Dauson Dales and Jack Goonan to load the bases for Kasey Williams. Lonsway went to a full count before issuing a walk to score Kahle to cut Celina's lead to one. Lonsway recovered by getting Tyler Brown to pop out to first for the first out, then snagged a Jaylon Martinez line drive and then doubled up Dales at third to end the game.

"He threw more pitches than I would have liked," Mikesell said of McGohan. "But he grinded. That's what you want from your seniors."

Murlin had the only multi-hit game for Celina by going 2-for-3. Goonan had two hits for the Pilots.