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Scouts squander lead in ninth

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Members of the Xenia Scouts (blue) and Hamilton Joes (red) got together for a moment of faith and fellowship after Tuesday night’s 9-3 Hamilton win, at Foundation Field.

Jonathan Bravo gets a lead off first base as Hamilton’s Jake Simmerman covers the bag during an earlier meeting between the Xenia Scouts and the Hamilton Joes which took place at Xenia’s Grady’s Field. The two teams played Wednesday night at Hamilton’s Foundation Field.

Xenia’s Lincoln Reed frames the catch and Hamilton’s R.J. Thompson reacts after taking a called strike on the outside corner, during a game earlier this season between the visiting Joes and the host Xenia Scouts.

HAMILTON — In the second game in as many nights between the Xenia Scouts and the Hamilton Joes, the top two teams in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League, this one came down to the final inning Wednesday night at Foundation Field in Hamilton.

With the 4-3 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, the Scouts committed two errors on the way to giving up two runs and the game. Hamilton took the lead and sole control of the GLSCL with the 5-4 win.

R.J. Thompson came into the game for the Joes in the ninth inning representing the tying run. After a foul and a strike, he hit the ball to Xenia second baseman Christian Binger who bobbled the ball for the first Scouts error of the inning. Zach Hummel then popped up a ball right above home plate. Xenia pitcher Ben Aldridge and catcher David Gauntt both tried to navigate around Hummel to make the catch for the out, but the ball fell between the two and Aldridge’s throw to first was high, marking the second error for the Scouts.

Xenia had three errors for the game.

Daniel Moorehead came up to bat and put down a bunt to advance the two Joes runners to third and second, but was tagged out at first. With one out, leadoff hitter Daniel Neff then singled to right field to bring home Thompson and Hummel and secure the win for Hamilton.

After a 9-3 loss to the Joes Tuesday night, the Scouts came out and scored early. Binger got a single and was brought home by a Gauntt double in the first inning.

Xenia scored three more runs in the third. Binger hit a single to right field to score Miles Wright and Lee Solomon. Austin Orr was also scored by a single from Johnny Bravo.

The Joes made things interesting again in the ensuing inning, scoring three runs in the fourth to pull within one run. Jake Simmerman had a leadoff double down the third base line. He was brought home by a double from Hunter Owen on the ensuing at-bat. Thompson then hit a single to bring him home. Thompson scored the final Hamilton run of the inning on a sacrifice fly from Mitch Van Koevering.

Aldridge got the loss after replacing Joey Leavitt in the bottom of the fourth inning. He gave up just two hits in the loss. Leavitt had given up eight hits before being taken out.

Hamilton had four pitchers take the mound in the win. Zach Kendall had the start and pitched through five innings, giving up six hits. Chris Ticherich came in in the top of the sixth, Danny Hentz in the top of the seventh and Will Small in the top of the eighth. Small finished up the game giving up a single hit.

With the win, the Joes (15-5) sit at the top of the league standings. They have gone 9-1 in their last 10 games. The Scouts (14-8) are currently tied for second place in the GLSCL with the Lima Locos, two games back.

Hamilton is back in action on the road at 7:05 p.m. tonight at McLeary Field against the Cincinnati Steam. The Scouts return home to host the Lake Erie Monarchs at 6:05 p.m. tonight at Grady’s Field.