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Fort Recovery's Anthony Roessner (8) throws to first to complete the double play after forcing out Celina's Braylon Steinbrunner during Tuesday's ACME baseball game at the LeFevre Family Complex in Fort Recovery.
FORT RECOVERY - Even with temperatures in the mid-90s, it took a couple of innings for Fort Recovery to heat up the bats.
The Indians' bats were scorching Celina in the fourth inning with an 11-run outburst to wrap up the ACME baseball regular season with a 12-0 win over the Bulldogs on Tuesday at the LeFevre Family Baseball/Softball Complex.
"I was happy. We told the guys it was the game before the tournament and to come out swinging and hit the ball," said Fort Recovery coach Craig Evers. "That's exactly what they did."
Neither team could put a run across in the first two innings. Celina starter Brodee Schulte-Arnold scattered three hits, but benefitted from a 5-4-3 double play as the Indians stranded two baserunners.
Dylan Klenke started for Fort Recovery and also allowed just three hits in two innings as the Indians went with a trio of pitchers to get arms ready for the district tournament.
Fort Recovery finally broke through in the third as Reece Wendel belted a one-out single, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch. Schulte-Arnold then walked Alex Gaerke to bring up Klenke, who hit a shot deep into shortstop, allowing the Bulldogs to get just the out at first as Wendel scored.
Fort Recovery's Ian McCain makes contact with the baseball.
Then in the fourth, the Indians went on the hit parade with 15 batters coming to the plate. Hayden Siefring led off with a single. Ian McCain then drew a walk before Schulte-Arnold got the first out. Anthony Roessner then dropped a perfect bunt for a single to load the bases for Jett Tobe, who blooped a single just over third base to score McCain. Reece Wendel then cleared the bases with a double. Ohyn May came on in relief for Celina and was greeted by a single from Alex Gaerke to bring home Wendel. Klenke followed with an RBI single of his own and Reece LeFevre walked. Siefring's try for a second hit in the inning turned in a flyout to left for the second out. McCain then doubled home Klenke to make it 8-0. After LeFevre came home on a wild pitch, Diller singled home McCain to make it 10-0. Roessner walked, then Tobe tripled home two runs to make it 12-0 before Wendel made the final out.
Celina's Brodee Schulte-Arnold, right, fields the ball as teammate Chance Miller backs up the play.
"We told them to attack the strikes," said Evers, referring to the nine hits that inning. "Top of the order to the bottom of the order, everybody swung the bat (eight of the nine batters got hits with all nine players scoring a run in the game)."
Gaerke pitched the third and fourth innings for Fort Recovery, scattering a hit and three strikeouts before turning the ball over to Wendel in the fifth. Wendel got the first out before walking Brenner Hinkle. Wendel then got a strikeout and flyout to center to end the game.
"We're short on pitchers, unfortunately, so we had to get a couple arms in here to warm them up a bit and save them for Thursday," said Evers.
Wendel went 3-for-4 at the plate for Fort Recovery. Klenke, Gaerke, McCain and Tobe each had two hits.
Schulte-Arnold had two of the six Celina hits.
Both teams will be back in Fort Recovery as the ACME District 4 tournament gets underway on Thursday. The host Indians take on Marion Local at 4:15 p.m. with Celina facing Parkway at 6:15 p.m.
