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Minster's Brady Wolf tries to hold on to the ball as Fort Recovery's Wyatt Bihn sprints to first base.
MINSTER - For Fort Recovery baseball coach Kevin Eyink, it felt like déjà vu all over again.
After a great effort from Bo Thien on Tuesday went for naught, Alex Dues pitched a gem against Minster on Thursday.
But while the Indians struggled to get runners home, the Wildcats came up with the clutch hit on James Niemeyer's two-run single in the bottom of the sixth to give Minster the 3-1 win at the Wildcat ballpark in Midwest Athletic Conference play.
"We needed that," said Minster coach Mike Wiss. "We've been in that situation - 1-1 late in the game or a tie game - so often after the fifth inning. As it does in baseball, some can be taken from you. … That wears on the six inches between our ears and our confidence."
Minster's Tyler Stueve sets up to throw to first during Thursday's game with Fort Recovery.
Dues and Minster pitcher Louis Magoto engaged in a typical MAC pitchers' duel with the game tied at 1-1 heading to the sixth. Dues scattered three hits and two walks - both to Nathan Beair - through the first five innings with five strikeouts. Magoto was just as sharp, giving up two hits and two walks with four strikeouts.
"He really held them down," Eyink said of Dues. "Again, we didn't take advantage of opportunities when we got guys on."
The Indians scored first in the top of the second as Daniel Patch got a one-out single and went to second on a passed ball. Magoto got a flyout for the second out, but with Tucker Overman up, the third strike got away from the catcher, allowing runners to move up and loading the bases for Landon Post, who drew a walk to bring home Patch. Magoto quickly got a strikeout to end the threat.
Minster leveled the game in the fourth as Adam Rindler led off with a walk and went to second on a sacrifice bunt. After a wild pitch, Ian Homan blooped a single over second to put runners on the corners for Brady Wolf, who singled home Beair to tie the game.
The Wildcats, especially Niemeyer at third base, made some great throws to earn outs over the next couple innings. In the sixth, Fort Recovery had runners at second and third with one out, only to have Magoto get a strikeout on Dues and then Tyler Stueve made a great throw from short to throw out Overman on a bang-bang play to end the threat.
Fort Recovery's Cale Rammel, is on the ground as Troy Homan tries to hold on to the ball during Thursday's MAC baseball game at Minster. James Niemyer got a single out of the hit, resulting in the go-ahead runs in Minster's 3-1 victory.
In the bottom of the seventh, Beair walked and went to second on a Stueve bunt. Dues struck out Ian Homan for the second out, but Wolf got an infield single. Dues got two quick strikes before Niemeyer got a bloop single, and centerfielder Cale Rammel tried a diving catch and collided with shortstop Troy Homan. The ball dribbled away as Beair and pinch-runner Dylan Heitkamp headed home to make it 3-1.
"We didn't communicate. It was a ball that probably would have been caught," said Eyink.
Magoto, near the 100-pitch mark, was greeted by Post reaching on an error before getting Caden Grisez to ground to third for the first out. Wyatt Bihn then struck out before Rammel blooped a single to right to put runners on the corners for pinch-hitter Thien, who lined to Beair at second to end the game.
"We couldn't find a hole," said Eyink. "Been the same thing all year. Somehow we have to find a way."
"I'm happy, especially after Tuesday's long game and getting nothing for it," said Wiss, referring to the suspended game at Delphos St. John's that will resume on Wednesday with the score tied 5-5 in the 10th. "Next week we play Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and Tuesday (through) Thursday are league games."
Minster plays host to LCC tonight. Fort Recovery is off until Monday when Arcanum comes to the Stockade.
