Fort Loramie’s Dylan Sanders waits for the throw during a pick off attempt of St. Henry’s Bryce Brookhart during a nonconference game on Saturday in Fort Loramie. The Redskins lost 5-4 in extra innings.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Fort Loramie’s Christian McGee waits for a bouncing hit during a nonconference game on Saturday in Fort Loramie.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
Fort Loramie’s Mavrick Grudich catches a pop fly to left field during a nonconference game against St. Henry on Saturday in Fort Loramie.
Luke Gronneberg | Sidney Daily News
FORT LORAMIE — Late errors proved costly for Fort Loramie in a nonconference showdown between two of the state’s top-ranked Division IV teams.
The Redskins committed three errors in the top of the ninth, which allowed St. Henry to score the go-ahead run in a 5-4 extra-innings victory.
The loss broke a 12-game winning streak for Fort Loramie (14-3), which beat rival and top-ranked Russia (15-2) 6-1 on Tuesday. St. Henry (13-3) was ranked No. 8 in this week’s D-IV poll, while Fort Loramie (14-3) was ranked No. 13.
Bryce Brookhart reached first base in the ninth after hitting a ground ball to Fort Loramie third baseman Roger Hoying, who mishandled the ball. Hayden Boeckman then hit a grounder, and second baseman Collin Lessing threw Brookhart out at second.
But Boeckman then reached second on an error by Fort Loramie relief pitcher Maverick Grudich. Grudich struck out Drew Schwierterman, then intentionally walked Elijah Horstman.
Both runners tried to steal, and Boeckman appeared to score after Fort Loramie sent a throw into the St. Henry dugout. The plate umpire waved off the run and sent the runners back, but both runners then tried again to steal, and Hoying couldn’t come up with a throw to third.
The ball rolled into shallow left field, and Boeckman scored to give St. Henry its first lead of the game.
Hoying hit a one-out single in the bottom half of the inning, but the next two batters hit into routine outs to end it.
Fort Loramie scored the first four runs of the game.
Dylan Sanders drew a walk with one out and advanced to second on a ground out, then Max Cotner hit an RBI single into shallow right field to give the squad a 1-0 lead.
St. Henry starter Lucas Clune struck out three batters in the second, but Fort Loramie scored three runs in the third.
Lessing was hit by a pitch from Clune, who then walked Sanders. Clune then hit Grudich with a pitch to load the bases, then hit Cotner with a pitch to push across a run.
Darren Eilerman then hit an RBI single to right field, then Hoying hit an RBI single on a ground ball to left with one out to push the lead to 4-0.
St. Henry scored three runs in fourth to get back into it quickly.
Elijah Horstman hit a line-drive single to left field to lead off the inning, then Clune drew a walk. Nolan Kunkler hit a bunt single to load the bases, then Devin Delzieth hit a fielder’s choice grounder to third base, and one run scored.
Kunkler and Delzeith (who was safe after the throw to third retired Clune) then stole third and second. Kunkler then scored on a wild pitch to cut the gap to 4-3.
St. Henry left the bases loaded in the fifth but tied it in the sixth.
Bergman hit a line drive single to left field, and pinch runner Tyler Schwieterman then advanced on a sacrifice bunt. Christian McGee tried to throw Schwierterman out at second, but the ball went into the outfield, and Schwieterman scored to tie it.
Fort Loramie left the bases loaded in the seventh and stranded a runner at second in the seventh.
Hoying was 3 for 4 while Eilerman was 2 for 4 with one walk.
Grudich was charged with the loss after four innings of relief work. He gave up one hit and walked two batters while striking out one. McGee started and gave up two earned runs on four hits and five walks while striking out four batters.
Delzeith picked up the win. He pitched four innings and gave up two hits and walked one batter while striking out one. Clune started and pitched 3 1/3 innings; he gave up four earned runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five.
Fort Loramie is scheduled to host Jackson Center for a Shelby County Athletic League game on Monday.
Contact Bryant Billing at (937) 538-4818, or follow @SidneyOHSports on Twitter and @BryantBillingSDN on Facebook.
