The Galion Graders will return home on Thursday after breaking out the big bats in a 12-1 win over the Northern Ohio Baseball Club. The game was played Tuesday evening at Perkins High School in Sandusky.
Graders coach Ray Neill is also the head coach at Perkins, a position in which he has served for the past two decades. Neill’s Perkins teams have won more 360 games during his career there.
Four Galion batters had two hits in the big win over NOBC as the Graders pounded 13 total hits. Alexander Malinsky went 2-for-3, scored twice and drove in a run. Austin Adams was 2-for-2, drove in a run and scored a run. Brandon Wright finished 2-for-4, scored one run and had a RBI. Nicholas Riotto went 2-for-5.
Jake Krupar belted a solo home, his first of the season, in the bottom of the seventh inning. That was Krupar’s only at-bat in the game.
J.T. Core and Kevin Shrock each finished with one hit and two RBI. Zach Gunter and Zach DeThomasis each drove in a run.
Luke Fraley earned the win for Galion after scattering six hits in six innings of work. He gave NOBC’s lone run of the game in the fourth inning. Justin Mott’s two-out double allowed Hunter Handel to score after Handel led off the inning with a basehit. Fraley finished with six strikeouts and one walk.
A.J. Cecil pitched two perfect innings in relief of Fraley and Josh Peterson worked the ninth to close out the game. Peterson recorded one strikeout and one walk.
Brett Kajganich and Antonio Damiano each went 2-for-4 to lead Northern Ohio, which finished with seven hit total.
The Graders (3-6) jumped on NOBC starter Cory Teachout in the first inning, scoring six runs. Teachout was chased from the game in the third after surrendering two more runs. Galion scored three runs on reliever Mark Mittiga in the seventh and tallied a run off of NOBC’s final pitcher Brandon Wright in the ninth. Northern Ohio pitchers issued six walks.
Northern Ohio (2-7), based in Strongsville, has now lost seven consecutive games after opening the season at 2-0.
Galion and Northern Ohio were scheduled to play Wednesday in Strongsville, but the game was canceled due to rain.
The Graders will play host to the Hamilton Joes (6-4) on Thursday and Friday at James D. Heddleson Field at Heise Park. First pitch on Thursday is set for 5:30 p.m. Galion general manager Mike O’Leary said the ballclub hopes to have the new lights at the home ballpark completely installed in time for Friday’s game against Hamilton.
The Joes opened the season 0-2 before putting together a three-game win streak. Hamilton had another three-game win streak snapped on Sunday in a wild 15-14 loss to the Lima Locos.
After the series with Hamilton, the Graders have three days off before beginning a home and home series with Lima next Tuesday. Galion will play host to the Locos on June 23, then travel to Lima on June 24. Lima (6-3) is currently third in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League standings.