Marysville pitcher Jack Christian (15) tags a Hilliard Darby base runner out at the plate Wednesday afternoon. The Monarchs dropped a 6-4 verdict to the Panthers. (Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
Marysville High School head baseball coach Nick Blake quickly pointed his finger at the cause of Wednesday’s 6-4 loss to Hilliard Darby.
“Our offense was very sluggish and we didn’t have good approaches at the plate when we needed them,” he said after the Monarchs fell to 7-12 for the season.
Panther starting pitcher Cam Gilkerson and reliever Alex Chawla limited MHS to six hits and combined for 10 strikeouts.
The Monarchs, however, took a 1-0 edge during the home half of the opening inning.
With two down, Jack Christian drew a free pass and advanced when Tristan Burns reached on an error.
Bailey Wade then gave Marysville its lead on a run-producing base hit.
Christian, who started on the mound for MHS, kept Darby off the scoreboard during the first three innings.
The Panthers, though, went on top with a pair of runs during the visitors’ portion of the fourth.
Christian, who had walked a couple of batters and hit one during the first three frames, saw Darby’s lead-off batter reach safely on one of four MHS fielding miscues.
Casey Marniak was perched on second after the two-base error when Christian notched a strikeout.
Jameson O’Flynn singled in the run that tied the game at 1-1.
Jacob Swartzmiller followed suit to push the Panthers up by a run.
The Monarchs (who will travel to Olentangy today) tied the game with a score in the home half of the fourth.
Gilkerson had a 1-1 count with Christian at the plate.
The Monarch senior whipped his bat around on the next pitch.
Christian deposited the ball over the left field fence to notch the game at 2-2.
Burns singled, but was caught stealing second base.
Gilkerson coaxed a fly ball out and put a strikeout in the book to end the inning.
Things began to go sour for the Monarchs in the top of the fourth.
Christian yielded a single to lead-off batter Matthew Spencer.
Blake went to the bullpen and brought in Wade.
“Jack threw well,” said Blake. “It’s just that Darby put together some good at-bats that got his pitch count up.”
Another Monarch fielding miscue put runners at first and second.
Nathan Burdick singled in the go-ahead run that was charged to Christian’s account.
Wade could not get any outs during his brief stint on the bump.
By the time he was lifted in favor of Justin DeHoff, the Panthers held a 6-2 lead after four additional hits.
DeHoff and the Monarchs escaped further damage by coaxing a pair of grounders and a line drive out.
MHS scored a consolation run in each of the sixth and seventh innings.
Gilkerson put another strikeout in the book to begin the sixth.
He issued a walk to Jayden Deardorff and surrendered a double to Christian.
Burns cut Marysville’s deficit to 6-3 with a sacrifice fly.
The inning ended, however, on a line drive out.
Chawla took over on the mound as the Monarchs came to bat in the bottom of the seventh.
Alden Prochaska greeted him with a base hit and advanced to second on a fielder’s choice.
Prohaska moved to third on another fielder’s choice and then scored MHS’ fourth run on Zach Monnin’s two-out single.
DeHoff came to the plate as the potential tying run.
Chawla, however, notched a strikeout to end the game.
Darby 000 240 0-6 11 1
MHS 100 101 1-4 6 4
WP-Gilkerson
LP-Christian
SV-Chawla