Cheads Can Even Season Series with Hamilton Friday
by Alex Harrison
Hamilton, OH -- The final meeting with the Hamilton Joes will be the most important meeting of the season for the Southern Ohio Copperheads.
A win with some help from the Cincinnati Steam could clinch a post-season appearance for the Copperheads. The pesky Joes have given the Cheads fits all season long, but they snuck out of Hamilton with a 5-4 victory on Thursday.
A quick 5-0 lead by the Copperheads was chipped away, and Hamilton even loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth inning down one run. If the Copperheads let off again on Friday, this time might not be so lucky.
The Copperheads have benefited from strong starting pitching recently. Southern Ohio looks to have the advantage over Hamilton on the mound on Friday as well.
Brett Vansant will make his fifth start of the season for the Copperheads. Vansant is 2-0 with a 3.41 earned run average. Beginning the season as a reliever, the lanky righty has allowed fewer earned runs in his four starts than his five relief appearances.
Vansant has pitched against the Joes once this season and that appearance proved to be his best so far. The Californian struck out 11 Joes over seven full innings and allowed only one run to score.
John Cheatwood will start for Hamilton in what will be only his third appearance. Cheatwood has pitched only four innings — all against the Richmond Jazz — but has accumulated a 0-1 record.
The last appearance from Cheatwood came a week ago. The Copperheads have a pristine chance to knock around an inexperienced pitcher early, and if the Copperheads’ hitters can keep swinging all game long, they might not need some late heroics to leave with a win.
