Shockers 1-3 in Best of Ohio event
Jun. 28—PLEASANT HILL — The past two weekends with Waverly's Post 142 Shockers saw them finish just short in the tournament's championship game.
For this past weekend's Best of Ohio Showcase, held at Newton High School in western Ohio, Waverly went just 1-3.
The Shockers won their lone Thursday game by a count of 10-4 over the Dublin Tigers Elite, but their Friday pair and Saturday single games resulted in losses —and only 11 combined runs.
Post 142 fell 8-5 in Friday's first game to the Tri-County Timberwolves, then were shut out by the Music City Saints 10-0 in Friday's nightcap.
On Saturday, and out of championship contention for this one, the Saints (17U) slipped past the Shockers 9-6.
The 1-3 Waverly weekend left Post 142 at 10-7 —as the Shockers return home, and return to SCOL play at 3-0, against visiting Portsmouth Post 23 on Tuesday.
First pitch is set for 5:30 p.m., as Waverly won the first meeting between the two 9-2 in Portsmouth two weeks ago.
In the Shockers' sole victory on Thursday, they scored four runs in the opening inning and another in the second — before going up 10-0 with five more points in the fourth.
Dublin did make it interesting in the final-frame fifth — by batting around, scoring four runs, and actually loading the bases with two outs.
Dax Estep entered to pitch and relieved starter Ben Nichols, and struck out the only batter he faced to end the game.
Nichols, the graduated Zane Trace ace, notched nine strikeouts in his four and two-thirds innings of work —which included the four runs by DTE in the fifth, but only two were earned.
He walked two and scattered six hits, as four of his Ks came consecutive to Tigers in the fourth —and the opening batter in the fifth.
In the first, he also struck out three —sandwiched around a one-out single and a two-out walk where Tigers had runners on the corners.
Nichols retired the Tigers 1-2-3 in innings two and three, and faced only four in the fourth — three strikeouts following hitting the leadoff man.
Estep, Jase Hurd and Weston Roop recorded two runs apiece —as Estep, Hurd and designated hitter Peyton Harris each had two hits.
Both of Harris' hits were two-run doubles —in the first and fourth innings to account for four RBI.
Estep added three runs batted in, including a two-run single in the first.
Against the Timberwolves, the Shockers led 5-1 following the opening two innings —scoring three in the first followed by two more markers in the second.
However, Tri-County charged back with the final seven counters —taking its eventual 6-5 lead, with two in the third and three in the fourth.
Against the Saints 17-U on Saturday, Music City's squad scored twice in four innings of the six-stanza affair —the second, fourth, fifth and sixth.
This time, the Shockers trailed 5-1 following four —but tied the game at 5-5 before the Saints scored twice more in the final two innings.
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