“It wasn’t a big challenge, but all I was hoping for was to get through it with a win and not get anybody hurt,” HHS coach Dan Bowling said after coaching the final home game of his 28-year career.
All games from here on out will be played on the road or at neutral sites, starting today at 5 p.m. when the ninth-seeded Big Blue (17-11) face No. 6 Fairfield (18-8) at Joe Nuxhall Field.
Against Aiken, four Hamilton pitchers combined on a one-hit shutout. Starter Brandon Turner struck out five and surrendered the lone hit in two innings of work, and he was followed by Scott Geisz, Dillon Kellum and Ricky Lakes, who threw one inning each.
“I wanted to get Brandon out after two innings so I would have him available (today) against a left-hander, and (Fairfield) has a few of them,” Bowling said. “We even talked about not starting him, but you can’t hold everybody back.”
Seventeen Hamilton players saw action against the Falcons (7-16), including freshman Brandon Green, who drew a bases-loaded walk in his first varsity at-bat.
Blake Castator (2-for-2, walk, RBI, two runs, two stolen bases) was the only Hamilton player to record a multihit game as most Big Blue base runners came via free passes. Aiken pitchers walked eight batters and hit three more.
Turner added a two-run triple and scored twice, and Patrick McGuff had a three-run triple and scored once. Josh Fox, Jason Link, Joey Lamberton and Lucas Kadle added RBIs.
“We were just trying to stay in the game and stay focused,” Castator said. “We were trying not to think ahead, but Fairfield was in the back of all of our minds.”
Bowling said he likely will start Jason Link (5-2, 1.84 ERA) against the Indians, while Tribe coach Larry Price said he is planning on starting Jake Elmlinger (6-0, 4.78 ERA).
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.
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