The Daily Standard
Story Archive
Celina's Braylon Steinbrunner (4) is tagged out by Fort Recovery's Brodie Hart after trying to steal home during Monday's game at Montgomery Field.
CELINA - For the first 4 ½ innings, Celina and Fort Recovery engaged in a pitchers' duel with both teams starting their aces.
The Bulldogs got two unearned runs off Indians ace Caden Grisez through four innings, then after Grisez departed, plated five runs in the fifth, more than enough for Brady Steinbrunner and two relievers to give Celina a 7-2 win in the season baseball lidlifter on Monday at Montgomery Field.
"Both starting pitchers threw the ball well for the first outing," said Celina coach John Dorner. "Brady made some really key pitches when he had a couple situations there with runners on base."
Steinbrunner pitched five innings of two-hit shutout baseball with eight strikeouts and just two walks.
Brady Steinbrunner struck out eight over five innings to help Celina to win its 2025 baseball season opener with a 7-2 win over Fort Recovery.
Grisez, who came up big for the Indians in last year's playoff run to a state runner-up finish, allowed just two hits and three walks over four innings.
Celina took advantage of two Fort Recovery errors to bring in the first two runs. After Brady Steinbrunner hit a one-out single, Chance Miller lofted a fly to left that was misplayed, putting two on for Braylon Steinbrunner, who hit a grounder back to the mound. Grisez threw to third for the force and the second out. Grisez then threw two wild pitches, allowing Miller to score the first run of then game.
"That first run was big for us," said Dorner. "It's totally different when you're playing with the lead in a pitchers' duel than playing from behind or tied.
In the third, Logan Sapp, who was at the plate when Braylon Steinbrunner was thrown out trying to steal third the previous inning, was hit by a pitch. Nick Steinbrunner grounded to short, but the throw to second for the force was high. Grisez appeared to be out of the jam when Wes Greber hit into a 6-3 double play, but then Brodee Schulte-Arnold and Tanner Wendel drew back-to-back walks to load the bases for Brady Steinbrunner, who got an infield single to score Sapp to make it 2-0.
"Wes' triple down the line was big for us," said Dorner. "We had guys getting on base early in innings, which makes a big difference."
Fort Recovery's Alex Gaerke throws to first to try and complete a double play during Monday's game at Celina.
Grisez wrapped up his afternoon with a 1-2-3 fourth inning as Alex Gaerke moved in from short. The Bulldogs greeted him by putting five straight baserunners on. Nick Steinbrunner led off with a single, then came home when Greber belted a triple to left. Schulte-Arnold followed with an infield single to bring home another run. Wendel walked and Brady Steinbrunner was plunked by a pitch to load the bases. Miller brought home a run with a groundout to first and Maxwell lofted a fly to right to score Wendel. Brady Steinbrunner brought home the final run on a wild pitch, one of five on the day for Indians pitchers.
"Caden did a great job. We made a couple of mistakes in the field that cost us," said Fort Recovery coach Kevin Eyink. "That got us behind. Then he had to throw a few more pitches than we wanted him to and we had to get him out. Fifth inning we struggled with getting strikes and they were able to take advantage of that."
Maxwell came on in relief in the sixth, got a line out followed by a walk to Mason Diller. After Brodie Hart struck out for the second out of the inning, Keegan Muhlenkamp was hit by a pitch. After a balk moved the runners up 90 feet, Jacob Foote ended the shutout with a single to clear the bases.
Austin Siefring came on for Celina in the seventh and closed out the game with three straight ground outs.
"We wanted to keep (Brady Steinbrunner) around 70 (pitches) and he was at 67," said Dorner. "That was a good outing. (Maxwell and Siefring) came in and did their job."
"Lot of ground balls right at (defenders)," said Eyink, whose team had 10 ground ball outs on the game. "Nothing really found the gap."
Brady Steinbrunner was the only Bulldog with a multi-hit game in going 2-for-3
Gaerke had two of the three Fort Recovery hits on the game.
Celina is back in action today with a road trip to the Airport in Maria Stein to face Marion Local. Fort Recovery hosts Franklin Monroe today.
