Settlers 5-3 victors over Steam gets help from Locos to remain alive in title run.

Joe Muraski

Joe Muraski (Northwestern), now 3-2 took the mound for the Settlers in the 5th meeting between the two teams this summer. Muraski, pictured, who suffered a rain-shorted 5-inning loss on July 18th to the Steam, their only victory over the Settlers in 2009, has his summer action come to an end in grand form, gaining revenge on Cincinnati (24-13) and providing a much needed strong starting pitching performance. It took the 11th Steam batter before Muraski was touched for a hit in an outing that was one of his finest. Muraski pitched into the 7th inning keeping the Settlers in front the entire ballgame. Muraski's final start had a line of 6.2 innings pitched, three runs allowed, seven hits surrendered, two walks issued, while striking out five.

With the Steam threatening in the 7th inning, Mike Meintel (Wright State) was called upon in relief duty. With two down and a runner on third base, Meintel forced Ryan Strausborger, the Streams most dangerous hitter, to hit a lazy pop-up to end the inning. Meintel would pitch a perfect 8th inning before seeing his day conclude. Going to the 'pen one more time was Coach Kyle Sobecki as GLSCL saves leader Nick Karow (Furman) toed the rubber in the 9th inning. Karow struck out two, in a scoreless inning of relief to seal the deal and close out the 5-3 win. It was Karow's league leading 10th save which extends his Settlers single season victory record.

The solid pitching performance was matched with outstanding execution at the plate. Infield singles, timely hitting, and beautiful bunts would be the theme that carried the Settlers bats in this ball game.

The scoring started in the 2nd inning where Chris Serritella (Southern Illinois) led off with a single to center, that was followed by a Tyler Engle (Ohio State) walk. With runners on first and second Aaron Roberts (Southern Illinois) received instruction from Coach Sobecki to sacrafice the runners over. Roberts placed a perfect bunt down the third baseline and was able to beat out the throw from Steam third baseman Tim Issler to load the bases. Kyle McMillen (Kent State) would hit into a double play, but Serritella was able to score the first run of the ball game.

The score remained 1-0 until the 4th when Dan Bucholz (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) would have a lead-off infield single, advancing to second on a throwing error from Issler. It was Serritella's turn to drop a sacrifice bunt, which he did so successfully. Engle would collect the second infield single of the inning, this one being a run-producing hit as Bucholz scored on the Engle RBI.

With the score now 2-0 action in the 5th inning was a microcosm of the afternoon. Steve Davis (Costal Carolina) took advantage of Issler playing deep in the infield and placed a beauty of a bunt single that hugged the foul line on the synthetic turf. It would be John Koenigsfeld (Valdosta State) who would be the latest Settler called upon to execute a sacrifice bunt. Koenigsfeld would continue the theme of Settlers reaching base off bunts. Steam pitcher Reece Asbury would bobble the bunt and would not recover in time to record the out. With two Settlers aboard and no outs, it was now John McCambridge (Xavier) who would record an infield single of his own, beating out the throw across the down from Issler off his bunt.

The bases were loaded once again for the Settlers. After two unsuccessful attempts to drive in runs, Serritella had a two-out, two-RBI single down the rightfield line to push the lead to 4-0. After the Steam scored three runs in the bottom of the 5th, with the score now 4-3, McCambridge would close the scoring in the 7th. A hit by pitch put the Xavier product on to start the inning, after stealing second, once again a successful sac bunt would help the Settlers cause, this one off the bat of John Turk (Akron). Now McCambridge was 90 feet away, a Bucholz single up the middle would close the book on the scoring this afternoon.

Bucholz finished with two hits in his five at-bats, adding a run and RBI to his credit, Serritella went three-for-four, adding a run of his own, to go along with two RBI. Davis would be the third and final Settler to have a multi-hit game as he went two-for-five.

After the Settlers would victorious. They received even more reason to be joyous as a Lima Locos 2-1 victory of the Southern Ohio CopperHeads kept the Settlers title hopes alive. The Locos and Settlers square off at 4 PM. The winner advances to the championship game if Copperheads lose their 1 PM game. If the Settlers and Copperheads both win the three-way tiebreaker is fewest runs allowed. The game and potential championship game can be heard here on Settlersbaseball.com.