By Jim Radke and Bob Strohm
jradke@wbcowqel.com
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

The Lake Erie Monarchs scored four unearned runs in the second inning last night as they defeated the Galion Graders 8-5 in a Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League baseball game played at Heise Park in Galion.

The Graders jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning as Robbie Jones singled, moved to second on a error and scored on a base hit by Trevor Snyder.

The Monarchs came right back in the second inning with four unearned runs and never looked back, adding single runs in the third, fifth, sixth and eighth innings.

Trailing by 6 runs entering the eighth inning, Galion went into rally mode scoring twice in the 8th and once in the 9th.  With two out, two on, and the tying run at the plate, the rally fell short with a pop fly to end the game.

Trevor Snyder led the Graders 8 hit attack with two singles and a double driving in 4 of Galion’s 5 runs.

Graders Skipper Taylor Baker spoke about the attempted comeback.

“I think the last two innings we did a good job,” Baker said. “They were having trouble throwing strikes. I think we missed some pitches where we had favorable counts. They did a good job at the plate grounding out those at bats, and to go back from the fourth to the seventh it put the added pressure on yourself of ‘ok we need six runs, I need to hit the gap or a double or something,’ and I think that added to widening the (strike) zone.”

Baker explained that the pitching will need to work on reigning in the focus when the game potentially gets away from them.

“I stressed to our pitchers the importance of getting ahead of batters,” Baker said. “It is hard when you don’t have certain plays happen behind you, but at the same time to lose that focus a couple batters into the inning and when the walks add up it is troubling to get back into that focus and it adds up.”

With the loss the Graders fall to 1-2 on the season. The Galion Graders will be on the road for the next two games visiting the Lake Erie Monarchs and the Irish Hills Leprechauns before returning home on Friday to play the Leprechauns.

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