Big Red finds a way to win — twice
Steubenville uses close wins to sweep a twin bill with East Liverpool
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STEUBENVILLE -- Last spring, it seemed like Big Red could not buy a break in a close game. Wednesday night it seemed those struggles in close games have since been put in the rearview mirror.
Big Red earned a pair of such wins in a twin bill at the Crimson Complex, coming from behind in each to beat visiting East Liverpool 4-3 and 5-3.
Steubenville, now 4-2, has won three-straight this week.
"We needed them," Big Red head coach Fred Heatherington said of getting close wins. "Last year we didn't get many of them … I think we lost seven one-run ballgames, this year I think we've won three one-run games already. Maybe the tide is turning.
"We didn't play our best, but we won the games and that's what counts. We hung in there when we had to. That's a sign of the team that stays together, and that's what we talk about all the time."
The Potters (1-4) led early in both contests, taking a 2-1 lead through two innings in the opener and opening a 3-0 lead in the top of the first in the nightcap. However, Big Red came back both times despite being out-hit in both games.
In the opener, Nolan Blackburn settled in and allowed just one more run the rest of the way in going the distance and striking out seven, the biggest of the seven ending the game with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh.
Likewise, in the second game, Hayden Hicks shook off the Potters early success and did not give up another run in going 5 1/3 innings, striking out four before Matt Fabbro came on and sat down four to earn an impressive five-out save.
"Nolan started off slow and came on strong, same with Hicks," Heatherington said. "Matt came on and did a good job."
Hicks had an RBI double in the bottom of the third in the opener that knotted the score before Kail Simmons and Brody Saccoccia each put balls in play that resulted in runs after errors by the Potters, then Blackburn made the lead stand up.
Martie Lovato had an RBI double in the bottom of the first that put Big Red on the board and evened the score at one.
In the second game, after the Potters' early surge, and a rain delay, Bubby Reese's RBI groundout got Big Red on the board, Lovato scored on a wild pitch and Blackburn came across to tie the score after Simmons put a ball in play that resulted in another East Liverpool error.
The difference-making hit came in the bottom of the sixth when Aydan Manning's two-out single to left plated a pair of runs to make it 5-3, then Fabbro closed things out by striking out the side in the top of the seventh.
"I told the guys we needed some opportune hitting to take advantage of opportunities," East Liverpool head coach Brian May said. "I told them we also can't make mistakes and we made way too many mistakes (the Potters were charged with 11 errors combined on the day). When you make that many mistakes, you're not going to beat a good team like that."
UP NEXT
East Liverpool: Takes a trip to Minerva today, weather permitting.
Big Red: Is slated to play at Harrison Central today, weather permitting.
Game 1
Big Red 4, East Liverpool 3
East Liverpool 1-1-0 0-1-0 0 – 3 8 5
Big Red 1-0-3 0-0-0 x – 4 6 3
EAST LIVERPOOL: Smith (LP, 6IP, 4R, 2ER, 6H, 7K, 3BB) and Tice. Davis D, S, RBI; Smith S, RBI; Tice S; Suznevich S, RBI; Birch S.
BIG RED: Blackburn (WP, CG, 3R, 3ER, 8H, 7K, 3BB) and Simmons. Lovato D, S, RBI; Manning D; Hicks D, RBI; Reese S; Simmons S, RBI.
Game 2
Big Red 5, East Liverpool 3
East Liverpool 3-0-0 0-0-0 0 – 3 4 6
Big Red 0-0-3 0-0-2 x – 5 2 0
EAST LIVERPOOL: Tice (LP, 3IP, 3R, 0ER, 0H, 0K, 5BB), Suznevich (3IP, 2R, 2ER, 1H, 2K, 3BB) and Ramsey and Tice. Ramsey S; Tice S; Davis S; Fitch S.
BIG RED: Hicks (WP, 5 1/3IP, 3R, 3ER, 4H, 4K, 7BB), Fabbro (SV, 1 2/3IP, 0R, 0H, 4K, 0BB) and Simmons. Manning S, 2RBI; Reese RBI.