By Dan Messerschmidt
CCN Sports Director

CASTALIA — Bucyrus went into the new season with their Division III tournament game against Margaretta, but some old problems surfaced.

The Redmen committed two costly errors that led to four unearned Polar Bears’ runs. The resulting 5-2 loss abruptly knocked Bucyrus from the tournament trail.

“Once again, we needed to come up with that clutch hit,” Bucyrus coach Sean Maudsley said. “We got guys in scoring position almost every inning. We just have to come up with that clutch hit, which has abandoned us all year.”

In fact, the Redmen did have runners in scoring position in five of seven innings and only brought home two of those runners, both in the sixth inning. They were two crucial runs, tying the game at 2-2, in what had become a pretty good pitchers’ duel between Bucyrus’ Trevor Ley and Margaretta’s Isaac Fenwick.

“They had a couple in scoring position early and we didn’t allow them to score,” Polar Bears coach Gregg Hedden said. “Isaac is a strike thrower. He’s not a strikeout king.”

Fenwick struck out seven, walked only one and hit a batter while allowing four hits. He stranded six Redmen baserunners in seven innings.

Margaretta (9-10) struck first, getting two runs in the fourth. A miscommunication between fielders caused the Polar Bears’ Tallen Kennedy’s fly ball for a two-base error to lead off the frame.

Zach Luma walked and one out later, Fenwick forced Kennedy at third. With two outs, Luma and Fenwick on Bryce Graffin’s bloop double down the right field line.

Bucyrus (7-14) tied it when Ryan Evans got hit by a pitch and Ben Seibert singled. With two outs, Kael Scott was safe on an error which also plated Evans. Seibert scored on a wild pitch.

“We had better approaches at the plate today,” Maudsley said. “We had good swings in good counts. We didn’t always hit it, but we had good swings, swinging at good pitches. We didn’t swing out of the zone very much today, which is definitely a good sign.”

In the bottom of the sixth, Margaretta batted around to score three. Brycetyn Hedden walked to lead off and moved to second on a wild pitch.

Fenwick singled, moving Hedden to third, who then scored on a fielder’s choice by Tim Schaffer. Graffin singled to load the bases. Ley got a strikeout for the second out, but an error allowed one two score and Brycen Aceto singled home the third run of the inning.

“We just make things happen,” Coach Hedden said. “If things go well and we play defense behind (the pitchers), then we’re pretty good. If not, we’re just like everybody else.”

The Redmen had a rally-in-the-making in the bottom of the seventh. With two outs, Tod Spurlock reached on an error and leadoff hitter Jaylen Zehner doubled. Evans smoked a 2-1 pitch on a low line headed for right-center field which was snagged by shortstop Aceto to end the game.

“We had the top of the order up with three or four of our best hitters statistically coming up (in the seventh),” Maudsley said. “I felt fairly decent and we hit the ball hard for the last out. That could have scored two and put a guy in scoring position. He made a really nice play.”

Zehner doubled, while Ley, Seibert and Evans singled to lead Bucyrus. Ley struck out two and walked four, hitting a batter.

Graffin doubled and singled, driving in two runs, and Seth Gasser singled twice for the Polar Bears. Aceto, Hedden, Fenwick and Evan Mahr each singled.

“Early in the game, we hit-and-run and hit into a double play,” Hedden said. “The good thing is, we had runners in scoring position (almost) every inning. The bad thing is, we didn’t always convert. We hit the ball hard tonight, but we didn’t hit real consistent.”

Margaretta advances to the sectional final at Galion on Friday, while the Redmen have one last Northern 10 Athletic Conference game left with Wynford at home.

“We want to keep positive momentum going so we can end the season on a win on Saturday,” Maudsley said. “We want to start fresh for next year.”

“Give credit to Bucyrus, they played very, very well,” Hedden said. “It just happened that we had one big inning.”

“We had a couple of mental mistakes, but all in all, I’m not too disappointed with how we played,” Maudsley said. “Our kids battled. A couple of guys took 6-7 pitches and put the ball in play. That’s what we ask them to do with two strikes. It was just that they had a few more hits than we had.”

208-530-3035

Bucyrus         000 002 0     2     4     2

Margaretta   000 203 X     5     8     2

LP: Trevor Ley (2 SO, 4 W)

HR: None.

Triples: None.

Doubles: (B) Jaylen Zehner; (M) Bryce Graffin.

Multiple hits: (M) Bryce Graffin, Seth Gasser.

Records: Bucyrus 7-14; Margaretta 9-10.

Next: Wynford at Bucyrus, Saturday; Margaretta at Galion, Friday, Division III sectional final.