GALION, Ohio — Austin Adams’ debut at first base was a resounding success.
A Colonel Crawford graduate, Adams had two hits and drove in a pair of runs as the Galion Graders knocked off the Northern Ohio Baseball Club 7-5 in the first game of a doubleheader Wednesday at Heddleson Field.
Galion completed the sweep with a 6-5 win in the nightcap and has now won three straight games.
Graders manager Ray Neill sent Adams, who normally plays in the outfield, to first base in the third inning of the opener to relieve starter Dylan Slack. Adams had to borrow a first baseman’s mitt from another teammate.
“Honestly, that was my first time (playing first),” said Adams, whose two-run double in the fifth gave the Graders (10-16) the lead for good. “He told me, ‘I need you to go in and play first base,’ and I said, ‘Alright, I’ll go out there and play it for you.’
“It wasn’t too bad. Not too many balls were hit to me. I tried to to what I could to help our team to win.”
It didn’t take long for Adams to get involved in the action defensively. He made a tough play in the fourth when a ground ball glanced off first base.
“I actually caught it with my bare hand instead of my glove,” Adams said.
Contributing at the Plate: Adams led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and moved to second on a passed ball. He came home on Nick Riotto’s run-scoring double, tying the score 3-3.
Northern Ohio reclaimed the lead in the top of the fifth, but Adams delivered again in the home half of the fifth. With two out and men at first and second, the left-handed hitting Adams belted a 2-0 offering from Northern Ohio starter Mark Mittiga to the base of the wall in center.
“He started me off with two balls and I knew he was going to try to come with one there,” Adams said. “If I sat back on it I could drive it somewhere, so that’s exactly what I did.”
Slamming the Door: Lexington product Brody Basilone earned the win in relief of starter Josh Peterson. Basilone inherited a bases-loaded, two-out jam in the fifth but induced an inning-ending groundout. He needed just 12 pitches to get through the sixth, recording a pair of strikeouts. He gave up an unearned run in the seventh, but coaxed a game-ending foul out with two runners on base.
“Brody Basilone has been lights-out,” pitching coach Taylor Baker said. “He’s been really good down the stretch. We trust in him late in games.”
Leaders: Riotto led the way with three hits, including a pair of doubles. Adams, J.T. Core and Alex Malinsky each had two hits.
Nightcap: Galion took advantage of four Norther Ohio (5-19) errors in the nightcap. The Graders scored four runs in the third to erase a 2-0 deficit.
Riotto, Core and Hunter Clanin each had two hits. Starter Trent Downs picked up the win, allowing two runs and striking out six in five innings. Ben Hamilton worked the final 1.1 innings for the save.
“He started me off with two balls and I knew he was going to try to come with one there,” Austin Adams said. “If I sat back on it I could drive it somewhere, so that’s exactly what I did.”
