GALION, Ohio–If not for a 4-2 loss, the home opener Saturday for the new Galion Graders baseball club was true “Field of Dreams” type stuff.
An announced crowd of 526 people gathered in Heise Park to welcome the newest member of the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League on a picture-perfect early June evening.
A color guard in their dress blues from the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard in Mansfield presented the colors before the game against the Southern Ohio Copperheads from Athens.
The crowd included lots of youngsters, admitted free in their colorful youth baseball uniforms. The kids got a free hot dog each time they returned a foul ball. Those same youngsters ran the bases after the game and flocked around the Graders for autographs. Then a post-game fireworks show lit up the skies shortly after the game ended.
Yep. Take away the loss and it was Midwest Americana on display.
Graders manager Ray Neal, the veteran coach of the successful Sandusky Perkins High School team, watched his team fall to 0-3, including road losses Thursday and Friday to the Licking County Settlers. The fact the defeats came against two veteran GLSCL programs, who met last year in the league championship series, doesn’t make it any easier to take.
“I told the guys after the new team in the league is being tested,” Neal said. “Frustration is a part of all successful seasons. We’re a little frustrated now. But we’re going to get that first win and then we will go on to be successful.”
Quality Starts: All of the fans in attendance, including those who watched from the top row of the nearby high school football stadium, saw quality baseball from college baseball stars.
Southern Ohio starting pitcher Andrew Gonzalez plays for Michigan State. Galion starter Matt Sullivan hails from Bristol, Va., and hurls for Lenoir Rhyne University. Both had good five-inning starts, each departing after allowing just two runs. Gonzalez allowed three hits, striking out four and walking two. Sullivan surrendered four hits, striking out five and walking one.
“Sullivan gave us a good game. If we pitch well, we will win some ballgames,” Neal said.
Late Rally: Southern Ohio broke the 2-2 tie with two runs in the eighth. Brett Impeda (Oakland University) singled in one run and Tony Giannini (Ohio University) followed with a pinch-hit RBI single. It would have been more, but the Graders cut down a runner at the plate on a strong throw from center fielder Hunter Clanin (Bowling Green State University).
The two runs gave the Copperheads the win, but Neal made sure his young team appreciated the community support despite the loss.
“I told the kids to take 15 seconds to get their heads straight and then spend some time thanking these 500 people,” Neal said. “We want them to keep coming back.
“This is a quality product. I would think anyone here tonight would appreciate the level of talent and the love of the game these young men have to give up their summers to play,” Neal said.
Better Bullpen: The Copperheads’ bullpen simply closed the door after Gonzalez departed. Greg Jacknewitz (Xavier University) was perfect in three innings, allowing no hits and striking out six. Eddie Fitzpatrick, a 6-foot-6, 23-year-old closer from Brown University, struck out the side in the ninth to end the game. Southern Ohio pitching combined to strike out 13 and walk just two.
Their effort was a bit better than Galion, who saw Josh Patterson (Ohio University) allow two runs in his two innings before giving way to Ben Hamilton (Otterbein University).
Local Products: The Graders have five locals on the team, including Lexington High School graduate Brody Basilone, who reached base twice, including an RBI single in the fourth-inning that tied the game at two. Basilone recently concluded a great first season at Sinclair Community College, where he helped the Tartans post a 50-11 record and come within a game of the junior college world series.
Other locals on the Graders are Austin Adams (University of Findlay) from Crestline, Austin Prosser (Bluffton) from Galion, Mitch McCrystall (Mount Union) from Ontario and Justin Lewis (Otterbein) from Shelby.
Rematch Today: Galion travels to Athens today to again take on the Copperheads. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at Ohio University’s Bob Wren Stadium.
