Saturday (4/12) saw Continental baseball compete in the Ayersville Invite with the host Pilots, Ottoville and Edon. The Pirates won the first game against Putnam County League rival Ottoville. The Pirates defeated the Big Green in game 1, 5-2. The Pilots claimed the Championship with a 14-0 win over the Pirates.
Game 1 against Ottoville
Scoring was at a premium in the first inning when Continental and Ottoville opened up their Pilot Invite game. Four runs were scored in the first with the Pirates scoring 3 to take a 3-1 lead after 1. The Pirates, visitors on the scoreboard, added a run to their lead in the top of the third. Pirates 4-1. The Pirates added another run to their lead in the fifth to take a 5-1 lead. The Big Green finished off the game scoring by plating 1 run in the bottom of the sixth. Pirates 5-2 final.
The Pirates had 12 hits. Jayden Pitney hit a double and 2 singles, scored twice and stole 2 bases. Jackson Bidlack had 3 hits and drove in 2 runs. Adin Daisy had 2 singles, 2 stolen bases and earned a walk. Nolan Cordes had a hit and walk, stole a base, drove in 2 runs and scored a run. Quinn Tegenkamp had a hit and a walk and drove in a run. Keenan Bowers had a hit, walk and was hit by a pitch and scored a run. Rhettik Bowers had a hit, walk, stole a base, and drove in a run. Parker Knowles earned a walk.
Rhettik Bowers pitched the complete game in for the Pirates going 7 inning giving up 2 runs on 6 hits, 1 walk and 8 strikeouts. Continental improves to 3-3. Ottoville falls to 0-5.
Game 2 against Ayersville
A big second inning propelled Ayersville over Continental in the Pilot Invite Championship game. The host Pilots plated a run in the first to take an early lead. Seven Pilot runs put them up 8-1 after 2. The Pilots added an additional run to their lead in the third. Pilotes 9-0. The Pirates scored 2 runs in the top of the fourth to make it 9-2 Pilots. Another run plated by the Pilots in the bottom of the fourth made it Pilots 10-2. A pair of Pirate runs in the top of the fifth cut the Pilot lead 6 runs, 10-4. The Pilots would end the game in the bottom of the fifth by plating 4 runs, Pilots 14-4 final.
Rhettik Bowers hit a home run and double, stole a base, scored and drove in 2 runs to pace the Pirates. Jayden Pitney hit a double and single and scored 2 runs. Nolan Cordes and Jackson Bidlack both hit a single and drove in a run. Keenan Bowers and Quinn Tegenkamp both had a hit. Overall the Pirates had 8 hits.
Nolan Cordes started and took the loss for the Pirates going 2.2 innings giving up 9 runs on 9 hits, with 2 walks and 1 strikeout. Devin Volkert gave up 5 runs on 5 hits with 1 walk and 4 strikeouts. Quinn Tegenkmap gave up 1 hit.
Continental falls to 3-4 and Ayersville improves to 3-2.
–Mike Jones, Sportswriter
