Sluggers Set New Runs Record in Game 1 Against the Locos
Sluggers Set New Runs Record in Game 1 Against the Locos Tuesday night saw the Flag City Sluggers begin their second series of their inaugural season, this time taking on the Lima Locos. Lima entered the game 3-0 after sweeping their first series against the Muskegon Clippers.
The Locos faced Sluggers pitcher Bryce Stenzel in his debut outing. Stenzel worked a clean first inning without allowing a run. Flag City came out swinging in the bottom half, with right fielder Chris Franks drawing a walk and second baseman Harrison Engskov singling to move Franks to third. A sacrifice fly from third baseman Will Lafferty brought Franks home for the first run of the night. Center fielder Tanner Powell followed with a base hit to score Engskov, putting the Sluggers up 2–0.
Lima wasted no time responding in the second inning, flashing their offensive firepower. Hits from first baseman Declan Magee and shortstop Charlie Vercruysse helped the Locos take the lead. Magee scored on a shot to first baseman Caleb Smith, and two more runners came home off Vercruysse’s hit, making it 3–2 Lima. In the bottom half, left fielder Carter Mottice singled and then stole second to get into scoring position. Engskov followed with a double, bringing Mottice home and tying the score at 3 after two innings. '
In the top of the third, center fielder David Falloon reached base on a fielding error at first. Third baseman Grant McGuire was hit by a pitch, and both advanced on a balk from Stenzel. Catcher Will Briggs then doubled, scoring both Falloon and McGuire. Right fielder Hayden Mains singled to bring Briggs home, putting the Locos up 6–3. From there, Lima pitcher Jake Michalak took over. He pitched five innings, striking out 11 and walking just three, effectively shutting down the Sluggers’ bats during his time on the mound.
In the top of the fourth, submarine pitcher Shamus Gallo took over for the Sluggers. Gallo struggled, walking three of his first four batters. A wild pitch allowed second baseman Brayden Kersey to score. Aiden Murphy replaced Gallo shortly after and allowed a fielder’s choice RBI from Briggs that brought Falloon home, giving Lima an 8–3 lead after four innings.
The Sluggers clawed back in the 5th and 6th innings with timely hits from Engskov and Powell, driving in two more runs and trimming the deficit to 8–5 entering the seventh.
But the top of the seventh got away from Flag City. Hits from Magee, Briggs, Borho, Falloon, and McGuire set the stage, capped off by a two-run home run from Brayden Kersey—his third of the season. When the dust settled, Lima had built a commanding 14–5 lead.
Pitcher Ben Best came in to finish the game strong for the Sluggers, striking out four of the six batters he faced over the final two innings. Offensively, Flag City showed late signs of life. A Will Lafferty single in the 8th drove in pinch hitter Ashton Williams and Engskov. In the 9th, the Sluggers kept battling, with runs scored by Powell, Williams, and shortstop Matt Gardner to bring the final score to 14–10 in favor of the Locos.
Despite the loss, the Sluggers set a new season high for runs scored in a single game. They'll look to carry that offensive momentum into Game 2 on Wednesday, June 11, with first pitch set for 7:05 PM as Flag City continues the hunt for their first win.
