Brian Kordal

Tiebreaker keeps Settlers from Championship play. 

Before the first pitch was thrown in the Licking County Settlers (24-14) and Lima Locos (30-9) game Friday afternoon from Athletes in Action Sports Complex in Xenia, the Settlers knew regardless of the outcome they would not be able to play for the GLSCL postseason championship after Southern Ohio beat Grand Lake 3-2.

Even if the Settlers were to win 1-0, 10-0, or 100-0 in the Pool play, where Lima, Licking County, and Southern Ohio were grouped in Pool A, it was too little too late, A Settlers victory would leave all three teams with a 2-1 record which came to pass. The first tiebreaker in a three-way tie is fewest runs allowed. After allowing five in the lost Wednesday to Southern Ohio, three in the win over Cincinnati Thursday, the Settlers eight total runs allowed surpassed the six runs the Copperheads would allow in their three games thus eliminating the Settlers.

With nothing more than pride and good times to play for, in their last outing in a Settlers uniform, the guys in gray made the most of the final game. A 9-2 victory of the 1-seed Lima Locos put a fitting stamp on what will go down as the best Settlers season in organization history.

Facing the Lima Locos for the third time in 2009, Johnathan Kountis (6-2) from Ohio Domincan would win the rubber match against the Locos, having split his previous two decisions against the GLSCL regular season champions. In his last outing as a Settler, the Kountins performance will be one that he remembers. Kountis would collect his sixth win of the summer extending the record he held for single season victories in a Settler uniform.

Just as Joe Muraski (Northwestern) did a day earlier against the Steam, Kountis carried a no-hitter into the 4th inning, retiring the first 11 batters that stepped to the plate for the Locos. Showing an overpowering fastball that kept the Locos on their heels, and a curve that had the Locos buckling at the knees hitting weak grounders to the Settlers behind him, Kountis pitched six very strong innings. The final numbers in the 2009 finale had Kountis allowing just four hits and the two Locos runs were both earned. The ODU Panther walked three, but struck out three as well, and 11 ground ball outs were recorded to his credit.

It was Jarad Miller (Valparaiso) who would take the mound for the Settlers in the 7th inning. Miller one of the best relievers for Coach Kyle Sobecki over the summer pitched a perfect 7th, the Locos went down quickly and in order 1-2-3. Trying to get as many Settlers in the game as possible, after throwing just the one inning Miller turned the ball over to Aaron Hammons (Ball State) who went one inning himself. Hammons pitched the 8th where he walked two, and struck out one.

Two relievers would pitch in the 9th to close out the 5-hitter on this afternoon. Justin Warrington (Ball State) struck out the only batter he faced in the last frame before Jordan Herbert (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) recorded the final two outs of the Settlers 2009 campaign.

Not to be outdone by the pitching performances, the Settlers when stepping to the plate put on a show the GLSCL had not seen against the top team this summer. The Settlers would bang out nine runs off 10 hits, once again executing small ball to perfection as they did Thursday, but this game saw a couple of towering blasts as well, displaying the Settlers power that has carried them during throughout the season.

The scoring would start in the 2nd inning where Kyle McMillen (Kent State) would drop a beauty of a drag bunt down the first base line. The fleet-footed McMillen easily beat the thrown from pitcher Zach Laughlin. After a Brandon Gessner (Otterbein) walked, Brian Kordal (Akron) would hit a sharp grounder to Loco third baseman Ryan Bridges who would throw wide of first baseman Tristan Moore, allowing both McMillen and Gessner to score.

It did not remain 2-0 for long. On a 0-1 pitch to lead off the 3rd inning, Chris Serritella (Southern Illinois) would hit a towering shot that appeared to be on its way to Cincinnati before landing in the trees of the rightfield wall. The solo bomb would be the 6th homer of the summer for Serritella extending his Settlers single-season home run record.

Two outs quickly followed before McMillen drew a walk, and Gessner singled to once again be on the bases for Kordal. Just as Serritella was able to make Laughlin pay for leaving a pitch over the heart of the plate so too did Kordal. Kordal would hit a two-out, three-run home run over the right field wall landing just feet to the right of where Serritella's ball landed. After three, the Settlers were already out in front 6-0.

Taking a cue from McMillen, John McCambridge (Xavier) in the 5th would drop a bunt single of his own to lead off the 5th. An Aaron Roberts (Southern Illinois) grounder would move McCambridge to second where he would preceed to steal third. The stolen base would have McCambridge end with 26 this summer, a new Settlers single season high. After using his speed to get on, and to get over, the wheels of McCambridge allowed him to get in scoring on a wild pitch.

The Locos would score runs in the bottom halves of the 4th and 6th to make the score 7-2 before the Settlers would score single runs in the 8th and 9th innings. A McMillen leadoff single would be followed by a John Turk (Akron) triple to drive the lone run in during the 8th while McCambridge would leadoff off the 9th with a single and score on a Dan Bucholz (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) sacrifice fly for the ninth and final run of the ballgame.

McCambridge would finish three-for-five collecting two runs and the stolen base. The other Settler with a multi-hit game would be McMillen who went two-for-three with a walk. McMillen would score three runs while Gessner crossed home twice, Kordal and Serritella would account for the remaining runs to score off their home runs. Kordal's three RBI would pace the squad, as Serritella, Turk, and Bucholz would contribute with one each.

With that the summer would come to a conclusion. In a summer filled with more highs than any other season in Settlers history, the final game in 2009 would see the Settlers go out in a bang in the 9-2 victory. Leaving this chapter filled with good memories and great times, as Ben Bradley would say.. "no matter how you write it, this one is in the books."