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BOB WREN STADIUM -- The Southern Ohio Copperheads ended their final home game in front of a massive crowd with some flair, winning a thrilling shutout victory over the Grand Lake Mariners in sudden death. 

 

While the final score may not make it out to be an entertaining outing, Southern Ohio’s home finale had an electrified buzz around the stadium in the Copperheads sudden death victory.

 

Per GLSCL rules, games will go into sudden death if a game is not decided in one set of extra innings. In the sudden death period, one team hits with a runner starting on first while the other team fields. The Copperheads opted to field, and secured an electrifying three outs in just two at-bats to win their final home game of the year.

 

Technically, neither team scored a run all evening as the two teams finished regulation tied 0-0, and remained so after the extra eighth inning. The game was originally a shortened seven inning bout due to GLSCL doubleheader rules.

 

Southern Ohio saw a record-setting crowd at Bob Wren Stadium, with over 1300 fans coming out to watch the Copperheads in their home finale.

 

After losing game one of the doubleheader 8-0, the Cheads bounced back with impressive pitching from both Jaren Slusher (Undecided) and Adam Beery (Ohio University). The two arms combined to hold the Mariners scoreless through nine combined innings, surrendering just four hits combined.

 

Slusher got the start, tossing five shutout innings where he struck out six Mariner batters, allowing just three hits. Beery came in for relief, tossing four shutout innings himself as he tossed three strikeouts, which included the final out of the sudden death period.

 

Mariners starting pitcher Ivan Hoyt (Dartmouth College) was equally impressive, throwing all eight innings for the Mariners as he held the Cheads to just two hits and no runs, striking out seven.

 

Braden Reed (Cuyahoga Community College) and Keaton Mahan (Wabash Valley College) recorded the only hits of the night for Southern Ohio, with Reed knocking a single in the second and Mahan roping a double in the extra-inning eighth.

 

It was an absolute pitching duel all evening, with both teams struggling to even get runners on base to threaten scoring opportunities.

 

Joe Kido (Indiana State University) gave Grand Lake their first real chance in the top of the fourth, when he roped a double to the outfield. However, an incredible throw as he tried to turn three gunned him at third, keeping the game tied.

 

Southern Ohio then threatened themselves in the bottom of the fourth, with a pair of walks from Jack Dupuis (Olivet Nazarene University) and Jacob Armsey (University of South Carolina Upstate) getting runners on before a strikeout ended the inning.

 

Grand Lake continued to threaten with multiple runners on in the fifth and the sixth, but both Slusher and Beery masterfully got themselves out of the jam and kept the scoreless tie intact.

 

In extras, Beery facilitated a quick 1-2-3 inning for Grand Lake, giving the Copperheads a prime opportunity to walk the game off and secure the win.

 

A leadoff walk showed great promise before the Mariners executed a clutch double play to seemingly kill the Copperheads’ hopes of a run.

 

Mahan then came to the plate and knocked a double that dropped perfectly between the left and center fielders to put the pressure back on Grand Lake.

 

The Mariners opted to intentionally walk Dupuis, and it turned out to be the right choice as the escaped the inning after the next at-bat to send the game to sudden death.

 

After a meeting at home plate with the umpires, the managers of both teams decided that Grand Lake would hit while the Copperheads would hit. In turn, the Mariners started the sudden death period with Kido on first base.

 

With the game either ending with three outs or a run, this would be the final inning of the evening.

 

In the first at-bat, Aaron Walton (Samford University) crushed a ball to left field that looked like it may leave the park.

 

Instead, it was caught by Maddox Mueller (Andrew College) at the top of the wall, and a rocket throw back into the infield caught Kido in a pickle trying to tag up. The Copperheads tagged him out and suddenly found themselves one out away from victory.

 

Beery continued his dominance in the final at-bat with three masterful pitches to strikeout the final Grand Lake batter, and a gatorade bath greeted him as his teammates rushed the field to celebrate the thrilling victory.

 

The victory is an important one for Southern Ohio as they end their final home game with a bang. They now sit at 13-22 on the season with just three games remaining, all on the road. Grand Lake falls back to .500, now sitting at 18-18 with the loss.

 

Southern Ohio won’t have much time to celebrate, however, as they’re set to finish their season with the last three games in the next two days.

 

They will travel to Hamilton to battle the Joes on Sunday, July 23 before ending their season with a doubleheader against the Licking County Settlers on Monday, July 24.

 

First pitch for Sunday’s game in Hamilton is currently scheduled for 7:05 p.m.