The Redlegs started the season on the right foot Sunday,
besting the Beavercreek Orioles 15-4. Traditionally a slow
starting team, this is the Redlegs first opening day victory
since the 2020 season when they defeated the Knights 15-1.
The visiting Redlegs got on the board in the top of the 1st
when Jacob Robinson walked to lead off the game and later
scored on a sacrifice fly by Tyler Schrock. Evan Koogler
started the top of the 2nd with a double, then scored on a
two-out single by James Robinson to put Camden up 2-0 after
2. James reached base in all four plate appearances before
being lifted for a pinch runner late in the game (Justin
Lynch entered and swiped his first base of the year). They
then turned that 2-0 lead into a 7-0 lead after the top half
of the 3rd. Tyler Schrock started off the inning with a
walk, followed by Max Ramsey getting hit by a pitch.
Newcomer Markus Neff then tallied his first hit and RBI as a
member of the Camden club. Mike Hartman followed suit with
an RBI base hit. Joey Watson would later drive in a run on a
fielder’s choice, and Matt Mattice scored the final run of
the frame on an Orioles error.
While the offense was doing their job, Tyler Schrock was
confounding the Orioles in his first MVABL opening day
start. He cruised through the first three innings, notching
4 strikeouts while allowing just 4 hits and 0 runs. Mike
Hartman helped the cause in the 2nd by making a great
charging barehanded play at 3rd to pair with a perfect
strike to first to nail the first batter of the inning.
Camden pushed another run across the plate in the 4th when
Jacob Robinson walked and later scored on a base hit by
Markus Neff.
Evan Koogler took over on the mound for Camden in the 4th
and the Orioles greeted him with their first run scored, but
Koogler was able to get out of the jam leaving two runners
aboard. The Orioles were able to scrape together a couple
of unearned runs off Koogler in the 5th and 6th thanks to a
few defensive miscues by the Redleg defense. But Koogler
escaped major damage in the 5th thanks to a heads-up
defensive play by short stop Markus Neff who had to charge
for a slow rolling grounder and picked off the lead runner
at 2nd who rounded the base a bit too aggressively. Koogler
was able to escape the jam in the 6th with a huge bases
loaded strikeout in the 6th.
Koogler extended Camden’s lead in the 6th, driving in Max
Ramsey who had doubled to lead off the inning making it a 9-
3 ballgame.
Koogler gave way to Kevin Campbell in the 7th, and a pair of
Redleg errors resulted in an unearned run for the Orioles to
cut the lead to 9-4. Campbell escaped a bases loaded jam,
inducing a groundball out to 2nd basemen Matt Redman who
flipped easily to Neff for the out at 2nd.
The Redlegs then put the nail in the coffin in the top of
the 8th. Jacob Robinson was hit by a pitch to lead off the
inning, followed by back-to-back singles by Tyler Schrock
and Max Ramsey to load the bases. Markus Neff continued his
memorable Redleg debut by launching a grand slam, tallying
his 6th RBI of the day. Tyler Schrock added a 2-run double
in the top of the 9th, scoring Jacob Robinson (HBP) and Eric
Jameson (single) to bring the score to 15-4.
Campbell retired the final 6 batters he faced, striking out
3, giving the Redlegs a drama free victory late in the game.
Boxscore
| J Robinson | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| T Schrock | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| M Ramsey | 4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| M Neff | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 0 |
| M Hartman | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| E Koogler | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| J Watson | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| M Mattice | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| J Robinson | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| J Lynch | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C Saraco-Polner | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| M Redman | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| E Jameson | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2B: Schrock; Ramsey; Koogler
HR: Neff
| T Schrock | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| E Koogler (W) | 3 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| K Campbell (S) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |