Marysville’s Tyler Drope (9) does a bit of a hand-stand after being called out while trying to score up and over Archbold’s catcher on Saturday. The Monarchs split two games to finish in second place during their own Classic.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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The difference between first and second place in the annual Monarch Classic baseball tournament on Saturday was two unearned runs scored by the championship team from Archbold.
Both of those runs came during Saturday’s first game as the visitors defeated the Marysville Elite 17U team, 2-1.
The Bluestreaks went on to topple St. Paris Graham and finish the tournament with a 3-0 record.
The Monarchs took second place with a 2-1 mark after blowing out Vandalia-Butler 17-2 Saturday evening.
Butler went 1-2 for the two-day event, while Graham dropped all three of its games.
After coming up short in the offensive department Saturday morning, the Monarchs finished the day very strong by rapping 15 hits off Vandalia pitchers Zach Serrer and Tyler Joynes.
The Aviators plated their only runs of the game in the top of the first off Monarch pitcher Drew Eaches.
Marysville committed a pair of errors to assist the visitors along the way.
Those runs quickly became a non-factor as the Monarchs ripped Serrer for five scores in the home half of the opening frame.
Kaleb Schultz legged out an infield single and Jacob Wright’s base hit put runners at the corners.
They both scored on Garrett North’s double.
Gavin Sharp doubled in a run, while Blake Storr’s Texas League single to the edge of the outfield grass did the same thing.
The Monarchs’ final run of the inning came on Tyler Drope’s sacrifice fly.
Marysville steadily built on its lead with six runs in the second inning.
Jarred Yoakam led off with a double and scored on Schultz’s triple.
Tate Virts was safe on error that allowed Schultz to race home, while Wright blooped a base hit.
Sharp drilled another two-bagger that brought in a pair of runs.
Storr singled and Steven Shamhart was issued a walk.
A wild pitch brought in a run and a fielder’s choice out off Drope’s bat accounted for the final score of the frame.
Vandalia made the pitching change to Joynes before an out could be recorded during the inning.
In one official inning, Serrer was tagged for nine hits and was responsible for nine runs.
Joynes allowed two runs in the third.
Schultz singled and advanced on a passed ball.
Wright singled after a ground-ball out to put runners at the corners.
Two batters later, Sharp was hit by a pitch, loading the bases.
Storr was safe on an error, which permitted a run to score and keep the sacks juiced.
Joynes then walked Shamhart to bring in the run that gave the Monarchs a 13-2 advantage.
Marysville added to its run rule quest with four scores in the bottom of the fourth.
Quentin Miller reached on an error, Michael Bonczak walked and Owen Meffley singled to fill the bases with Monarchs.
Wright was safe on an error that produced a run and left the bases full.
North doubled in two runs and Sharp’s sacrifice fly pushed Marysville out to its 17-2 margin.
Eaches, who had very little trouble with the Aviators during the second, third and fourth frames, yielded two hits in the top of the fifth.
A strikeout and popup, though, accounted for the final two outs to end the game.
V-B 200 00-2 6 6
Marysville 562 4x-17 15 2
WP-Eaches
LP-Serrer
Virts gave up only one hit during Saturday’s opening game against Archbold.
The Blue Streaks’ run in the fourth came after an error, fielder’s choice and passed ball.
Their fifth-inning score was the result of their only hit, a walk and another passed ball.
The Monarchs tallied four hits for the game, but left six runners on base.
Marysville’s lone score came in the bottom of the sixth.
Wright was hit by a pitch from Archbold hurler Rigo Ramos.
North reached base on a catcher’s interference call and Storr was safe on an error that loaded the bases.
A fielder’s choice out by Shamhart accounted for Marysville’s run.
Archbold 000 110 0-2 1 2
Marysville 000 001 0-1 4 1
WP-Ramos
LP-Virts
“I was happy with the way we handled ourselves in the first game against a very good Archbold team,” said Marysville coach Corey Gould. “Tate pitched a heckuva game and we knocked on the door (of scoring) a number of times.
“We just needed to tighten up our defense a bit in that game.”
Gould was pleased to see the Monarchs’ bats come out heavy in the nightcap.
“We had a few extra-base hits, which means we were hitting with a little more power.
“Drew threw well in that game,” said Gould. “He threw a lot of strikes and when you do that, you’re going to be successful.”