WALKOFF WINNER

By Bill Schneider Gates Mills, OH -- The Gilmour Lancers fought through frigid conditions and a gutsy pitching performance from VASJ starter Ray Eppich to win on a walkoff double by Brady Olsen in the seventh inning 5-4. The Lancers pounded out 12 hits but time and time again St Joe's came up with the big out to end the threat. That is until the seventh inning. Christian Kerner took his second start of the year for the Big Blue Machine and the Vikings got to him in the first. A two out RBI double, a hit by pitch and a three run home run by first baseman Brandon McBride made it 4-0 Vikings. An error earlier in the inning rendered all four runs unearned. Singles by Sean Pitrone and Tyler Hall got Gilmour on the board in the bottom half of the first. From there, The Colonel settled in, giving up just three more hits the rest of the day. Time and time again, GA got men on but Eppich and the Joe's defense would not bend. In the bottom of the fourth it looked like the Lancers were about to break through. Paul Fox led off with a single. Jack Quinn walked to put two on and no outs. Brayden Benisek bunted and popped it up. St. Joe's catcher Joe Vuriach jumped out of his crouch, caught the ball and doubled up Fox at second for a double play and effectively ending the GA rally. Tyler Pozsgai's pinch hit single in the sixth got GA going. Olsen singled off the leg of Eppich on the mound, allowing Pozsgai to get all the way to third on the ricochet. Pitrone smashed a single passed the third baseman and it was 4-2. Eppich intentionally walked Zac Titas to load the bases for Joe Salerno. Salerno drove the 1-0 pitch deep to left field but there was just enough room for the left fielder to reach back and make the catch for the third out. Again, the Vikings got the big play when they needed it. Salerno came in to pitch the seventh in relief of Kerner, who finished the day with six innings, five hits and four runs (0 earned.) After a quick 1-2-3 inning it was last chance for the Lancers. Hall led off and reached on an error. CJ Santagata doubled down the left field line to put the tying runs in scoring position with no outs and the Lancers were in business. Fox grounded softly between the mound and first base. Eppich made the play and threw Fox out. Hall scored on the play to cut the lead to one. Pozsgai came up and lined a single up the middle, scoring Santagata and tying the game. That ended the day for Eppich. Linton came on and got Benisek to pop up to short right field for the second out and it appeared St. Joe's was gonna escape again and go to extra innings. Olsen worked the count 2-1 before lining the double to right center and sending the crowd home happy. Olsen finished the day with three hits. Pitrone, Titas and Pozsgai chipped in two each. The 8-0 Lancers look to finish the week strong as the host Berea-Midpark Wednesday at Figgie Field at Sharnsky Stadium.