Lions edged by Pirates
On a perfect night for baseball Monday, a late comeback attempt by the Rushville Lions came up just short in a 6-5 loss to visiting Greensburg. The hosts had already scored twice off reliever Caleb Greiwe in the last of the seventh and had the winning runs on base when Kam Morton was caught looking to end the game.
Rushville spotted the Pirates a 5-0 lead as starter Jack Barnes tossed the first couple frames. Bryce Berkemeier came in to start the third inning and gave up just one run in the top of seven before Mo Manghelli needed a single pitch to get out of a jam.
The Lions gnawed at the deficit, beginning with two runs in the bottom of the third off starter Lance Coy. With one out, No. 9 batter Nicholas Bowles poked one into right field. Leadoff hitter Barnes then hit one to short, with Greiwe’s throw skipping past the first baseman for an error. Keegan Bowles brought both runners in on a liner to right. Berkemeier walked but Coy fanned the next two batters.
The Bucs had at least one runner on in every frame against Berkemeier, though in three of those he left runners stranded by striking out the final batter.
The score remained 5-2 until the bottom of six. Berkemeier opened the stanza with a base hit to left and cleanup Lincoln Comer followed with one to center. Coy then struck out Alex Reynolds and made a nice diving catch in foul ground on Morton’s bunt attempt. Ralph Eakins walked after courtesy runner Quentin Cain had scored on a wild pitch. Austin Adams came in to get Manghelli on a sharp grounder to first.
Greensburg (4-1) got what amounted to an important insurance run in the seventh. Berkemeier retired the first two batters but plunked Cy Miller for the second time. Miller stole second and came home on a single to right by Justin Adkins. Berkemeier’s last batter faced resulted in a base on balls.
The Lion seventh opened with N. Bowles reaching on a strikeout/passed ball. He went to second on a fielder’s choice. K. Bowles worked a free pass. Meanwhile, Nick Bowles scooted around to home on a wild pitch and errant throw. Keegan Bowles swiped second and third, then scored on a passed ball. Greiwe walked Comer and Reynolds before finally getting the save.
The first three batters of the game reached base; Greiwe walked, Leland Workman singled to left and Adams drove in Greiwe on a knock to center. Workman scored the second run on a wild pitch. Barnes then set down three straight to keep Adams at third base.
A third strike past the catcher allowed Adkins to open the Pirate second with his spikes on first. He stole second base and moved to third as the throw went into center field. Coy was hit by a pitch before No. 9 batter Bryson Kelso singled home Adkins with a hit back up the middle. Greiwe’s sacrifice fly to right scored runner Gabriel Gregory and a wild pitch permitted Kelso to score the inning’s third run.
Coy earned the win, allowing three hits while walking two and punching out 10. The loss went to Barnes, who fanned three across the first two frames. Berkemeier whiffed eight.
RCHS (1-4, 1-2 Eastern Indiana Athletic Conference) is at New Castle April 12, followed by a trip to Greensburg Thursday, the North Central tourney Saturday and a visit to Lawrenceburg Monday.
