ASHVILLE — The Lancaster baseball team is in the meat of its season, chasing a league championship. After a couple of tough losses, the Golden Gales needed a much-needed victory to get things back on track.
On Monday, April 27, Lancaster traveled to Teays Valley to start the second round of Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division play. The Gales were able to get back to playing the way they know how, thanks to another outstanding outing from junior pitcher Brody Broeckel. The Gales’ defense was tremendous behind him, and Lancaster senior Levi Greiner delivered two big hits with runners in scoring position.
It all added up to a 4-0 victory over the Vikings, keeping the Gales squarely in the hunt for a league championship as they improved to 7-1 in the OCC and 11-4 overall.
“It was a complete game for us,” Lancaster coach Corey Conn said. “Brody was phenomenal on the mound. It didn’t matter what we called or where we called it; he was going to spot it up, and our defense was incredible. Brody’s demeanor is infectious, and everyone knows you have a competitor and a bulldog on the mound, and when you have him on the mound, everyone on defense is going to do whatever they can to back him up. Our identity when he takes the mound is let’s go and get it. This was our brand of baseball – pitching and defense.”
Broeckel went the distance, allowing just four hits, striking out three, and he did not walk a batter.
Lancaster’s defense made play after play, including the entire infield, consisting of first basemen Kam Griffith, second baseman Carson Miller, third baseman Coleson Ross, and Greiner at shortstop. Junior centerfield Jack Pompey also had some outstanding catches.
“Brody is a good pitcher who attacks the zone and throws plenty of strikes, and as a defense, we love that,” Greiner said. “We practice defense so much for guys like that, and we are making plays for him. You love playing behind a guy like that because it keeps us on our toes and ready to go.”
Offensively, Greiner led the charge. Both of his hits came with two outs. In the third inning, he ripped a double to score Cale Meyer, who had walked earlier in the inning. Lancaster took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning when Griffith hit a solo, opposite-field home run.
Greiner came up huge in the seventh inning after Ben Thimmes singled, Meyer reached on an error, and Pompey laid down a perfect bunt for a hit to load the bases. After the second out in the inning, Greiner ripped a single to left-center to plate two insurance runs.
“When I came up with runners on, I was thinking, he has to come to me, and eventually he did,” Greiner said. “It doesn’t always go your way, but to be able to come through twice was an awesome feeling.”
Lancaster finished with seven hits, led by Greiner and Brayden Montogomery with two each.
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Lancaster baseball gets ‘complete game’ win over Teays Valley
Reporting by Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
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