The Redlegs dropped a tough one to the Royals on Sunday, 7-6. It was a back and forth battle but in the end, the Royals timely hits and the Redlegs base running blunders proved to be too much to overcome.
Kevin Campbell started on the hill for the Redlegs. The Royals wasted no time putting his feet to the fire in the bottom of the first. Kevin Reynolds led off the inning with a single. After a fielder’s choice and an error to put runners on second and third, Chris Jergens drilled a ball to the right field fence that Kyle Arend was able to track down but allowed the run to score on a sacrifice fly. Brad Koopman followed that with an RBI double and the Royals had a 2-0 lead.
The Redlegs answered in the top of the second off of Royal’s starter Shaun Delozier. Brandon Howard singled and moved up on a fielder’s choice before being driven in with an RBI single from James Robinson to bring it to 2-1.
Campbell held the Royals down in the second and third innings to allow the Redlegs to claim the lead. In the third, Matt Redman drew a walk and stole second before Arend sent a single up the middle to bring in Redman and tie the game at 2.
In the fourth, Howard reached on an error and was driven in by and RBI double from Brad Clark to give the Redlegs a 3-2 lead.
The Royals came back in their half of the fourth. After two quick outs, Shane Page singled and Delozier doubled setting the table for Neil Stafford to drive them both in with a go ahead single making the score 4-3.
Things were quiet until the seventh where James Robinson tied it up with his second RBI single of the game, driving in Mattice who had singled and stole a bag to put himself in scoring position.
The Royals wasted no time reclaiming the lead in their half of the seventh though. Page led the inning off with a single. After an error put him in scoring position, Jesse French singled to score Page and the score now stood at 5-4.
The Redlegs battled back again in the eighth when Arend and Jake Robinson both doubled to tie the game back up at 5s.
Campbell entered his eighth inning of work and issued a walk to Reynolds to lead off the inning. Bryan Murphy laid down a bunt to move Reynolds up and Brandon Rearman gave the Royals the lead again with an RBI single. Jergens later drove him in for an insurance run with another RBI single and that was it for Campbell as he left trailing 7-5. Redman came in to get the final two outs to strand Jergins and give the Redlegs a chance in the ninth.
James Robinson started the 9th with his third hit of the game. He advanced on a passed ball and Matt Morrison drove him in to bring the score to 7-6. That’s all the Redlegs could muster however and the game ended with Morrison stranded on first.
Cambell got the loss but pitched a solid game going 7 1/3 innings allowing 7 runs, 5 earned while only walking one. Delozier got the win and picked off an astounding 5 base runners in his complete game effort. James Robinson had 3 hits and drove in a pair of runs and Brad Clark stretched his hitting streak to a career high 15 games to highlight the offense.
The Redlegs will face the Beavercreek Sox on Tuesday night at Rotary Park.
Boxscore
| J Millard | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| K Arend | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| J Robinson | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| B Howard | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| B Clark | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| M Mattice | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| J Robinson | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| M Morrison | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| J Bradley | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| M Redman | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
2B: Arend; Robinson; Clark
| K Campbell (L) | 7.33 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| M Redman | 0.67 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |