RANDY HISNER
WZBD.com
In their opening game Thursday, the Adams Central Flying Jets out-hit the Fort Recovery Indians, 4-3, but the Indians took advantage of walks and a pair of crucial Jet errors to post a 5-1 win.
Wet conditions forced the game to be moved from Adams Central to Fort Recovery.
Fort Recovery (2-1) scored a run in the first off Jet starter Cade Van De Weg when Mason Diller stroked a two-out single to center to drive in Indian starting pitcher Alex Gaerke, who had reached on a walk and advanced to second on Caden Homan’s base hit to right.
The Indians scored two runs in the pivotal second inning without a hit. Van De Weg walked three, and another batter reached base when Jet first baseman Carson Ross dropped catcher Reece Hammond’s throw after a missed third strike. Colson Post scored the first run when Ethan Funk couldn’t handle Van De Weg’s pickoff throw at third, and then, with one out, Gavin Evers scored on a wild pitch.
Adams Central coach Josh Foster replaced Van De Weg on the mound with Jamison Roach, who got the final two outs of the inning. He pitched a scoreless third inning before giving up a two-run homer in the fourth to Caden Grisez, which made it 5-0. Roach retired the side in order in the fifth, completing a solid outing that saw him give up two runs on one hit and one walk, while striking out three, in three and two-thirds innings of work. Funk relieved Roach and retired the Indians in order in the sixth.
Meanwhile, Gaerke, the Indians’ big right-hander, held the Jets scoreless for five innings, yielding three hits, walking two, and striking out nine. He struck out the side twice.
The Jets threatened against Gaerte in the fourth. Funk led off with a line drive single to left. After Gaerke struck out Reece Hammond and Hayden Bloom, Jacob Miller singled to right center, Funk taking third and Miller hustling to second on the throw from the outfield. But Gaerke stranded both runners when he caught Roach looking at strike three to end the inning.
In relief for Fort Recovery, Jacob Foote pitched a scoreless sixth, but with one out in the seventh, Roach slammed an 0-1 pitch over the left field fence to ruin the shutout.
Ross had a single to right in the fifth for the Jets.
The Jets will host Churubusco Saturday. Game time is 10:30 A.M.
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