THE SOMMERS OF SALEM; QUAKERS WALK IT OFF

SALEM, OH- It all came down to the last swing on Monday when Salem Quakers snatched a nail-biting 2-1 victory over Cardinal Mooney, thanks to Keegan Sommers’ clutch walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh.

Pitching was top-notch on both sides. Salem’s pitchers managed to strike out one, while Cardinal Mooney’s Ben Oddis racked up six Ks.

Salem jumped ahead early in the first inning, capitalizing on a passed ball to score. However, an error by Salem in the fifth let Cardinal Mooney even the score at one apiece.

Marshall Boron was stellar on the mound for Salem, going the distance with a seven-inning outing, giving up just one unearned run on four hits, with a couple of walks and a strikeout. On the flip side, Ben Oddis was the hard-luck loser for Mooney, surrendering two runs (one earned) across nearly seven innings, while striking out six.

At the plate, Carson Rhodes led Salem with two hits from the top of the order. Sommers, who went 1-for-3, delivered when it mattered most, driving in the game-winning run.

For Cardinal Mooney, Kaden Reese was a menace at the top of the lineup, snagging three hits in four at-bats and swiping four bases, part of a total of seven steals for Mooney. They also played sharp in the field, not committing a single error, with Trent Litman getting in on plenty of action with eight chances.

Next up, Salem stays home to face West Branch on Tuesday, riding high from their dramatic win and looking to keep the momentum rolling.  Mooney will prepare for Ursuline on Wednesday at Bob Cene  Park.