Northmor had a perfect week on the baseball diamond, winning four games with a great display of pitching, defense and offense to make it a 6-0 start.
The team has been led by Grant Bentley and Drew Hammond out of the gate, who are batting .500 and .450 respectively. The team has six players batting over .300.
“Really pleased with the poise our guys showed this week in getting two wins each against Mt. Gilead and Loudonville,” said Coach Buck Workman. “Our pitching and defense have been carrying us. Each of Bentley, Brubaker and Hammond are 2-0 on the mound. They give us a chance each time they go out there. We just need to keep playing solid defense and manufacture some runs. We gave up three runs to Mount Gilead in the two games and were able to shut out Loudonville both times. I think each of those teams will win plenty of games this year.”
Northmor 2, Mount Gilead 1
It took until the ninth inning, but the Northmor baseball team beat Mount Gilead 2-1 when Garrett Harvey sent a single to right that scored Jack Bowdre for a walk-off victory on April 1.
Mount Gilead got on the board in the first inning when Cam Vickers smashed a double, driving in Wyatt Young.
Northmor tied the game in the third inning when Drew Hammond knocked in Grant Bentley, who had earlier advanced to third on a wild pitch.
The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the ninth when Northmor came to bat. Bowdre led off the inning with a walk, and then Bentley drilled a single to right to send Bowdre to third. After Cole Frick struck out Cole Cuffman swinging, Bowdre remained at third and Bentley at second with one out. Hammond drew a four pitch walk to load the bases, and in the next at bat Harvey knocked home Bowdre to win the game.
Northmor had a strong day of pitching, with Bentley starting the game going five innings, allowing one earned run on five hits and three walks, while striking out five. Trevor Brubaker came in to pitch four innings of two hit relief ball to get the win, allowing no runs and two walks, while striking out seven.
Harvey went 3-for-5 with the game winning RBI, and Bentley was 3-for-5 with a run scored.
Mount Gilead’s Gage Baker went eight innings, allowing nine hits, one unearned run and two walks, while striking out nine. Fricke took the loss, allowing an earned run, two hits, and two walks, while striking out one.
The Indian offense was led by Vickers, who was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Kaden St. Clair went 2-for-4 on the day, as well.
Northmor 5, Mount Gilead 2
Two days later, Mount Gilead hosted Northmor and it was another close matchup, but the Golden Knights came away with a 5-2 win.
Northmor got on the board in the top of the first when Harvey hit an RBI single. Mount Gilead went up 2-1 in the bottom half inning, when Vickers hit a hard ground ball that was misplayed. He reached on the error and Hayden Somerlot and St. Clair came around to score.
Northmor tied the game 2-2 in the third inning on a solo shot by Hammonds to centerfield. In the top of the fourth inning, Northmor’s Harvey reached on a dropped third strike, which also scored Bowdre and advanced Cuffman. After a Brubaker walk, Bryce Cooper singled to left to drive in two runs.
Hammond was dominant for the Golden Knights on the mound, going all seven innings, striking out 12 and allowing two hits, two walks and two runs with only one earned.
Offensively Hammond was 1-for-4 with the solo shot. Harvey went 1-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, and Cooper was 2-for-4 with two RBIs.
Hayden Pangborn got the loss, but also pitched fairly well. He allowed five runs, but only one earned, seven hits, four walks and struck out five. Somerlot and Vickers had the two hits for the Indians.
Northmor 10, Loudonville 0
Brubaker went all five innings, allowing three hits and a walk, while striking out six to pick up the win in a 10-0 shutout over the Redbirds on April 6
Hammond was 2-for-3 with a double and two RBIs in the win. Cuffman also had a pair of RBIs, and was 1-for-2 with two runs. Bentley walked three times and scored three times in the win.
Northmor 5, Loudonville 0
Northmor completed the double-header sweep on April 6 with a 5-0 win over Loudonville.
Bentley was on top of his game for Northmor, shutting out Loudonville in a game where he went all seven innings, allowing three hits and three walks, while striking out five.
Hammond was the top offensive performer with a 3-for-4 day including a double, two runs and an RBI. Bentley and Harvey each had an RBI, and Bentley was 1-for-2 with a run and a walk.
