PATIENCE, DEFENSE DIGS OUT DUKES OVER SALEM

LEXINGTON TWP, OH- A day after losing 14-1, the Quaker baseball team showed a lot of grit and mental toughness in Marlington Thursday night losing a heart breaker 3-2.

Senior starter Adam Wilson went the distance for the Quakers giving up 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 5.

It was a scoreless game until the 4th when Salem loaded the bases with nobody out. Wilson grounded into a double play but the run did score from 3rd to make it one nothing. When the next pitch strayed a little too far away from the catcher, junior Ricky Enlow scores from third on a heads up read and slide. The Quakers would end the inning with an out at the plate when coach DeBarr tried to steal home with Junior Joey Watson.

That wouldn’t be the last play at the plate during the game as the Quakers made the last out of inning at home in the next two innings when Turner Johnson was thrown out trying to score from second on a base got to right field and Ricky Enlow was thrown out to end the sixth trying to score from third on a tag up off of a fly ball from Freshman Blaize Exline to right field.

Neither team did anything in their next at-bats which set the stage for 7th inning dramatics from the Dukes. After a leadoff double got the winning run in scoring position, Wilson walked the next batter and the following at-bat saw senior center fielder Turner Johnson drop a tough fly ball that loaded the bases. With the infield drawn in, Wilson got a strikeout for the first out of the inning. Then after falling behind 3-1 in the following at-bat, Wilson walked in the winning run for the Dukes.

The Quakers drop to 9-11 on the season and 5-5 in the EBC. They will take the weekend off before returning to action Monday at home against Beaver Local for senior night. First pitch is set for 5 pm.

*Contributed by Mike DeBarr