Tradewater sweeps double header with pair of 2-1 wins

Tradewater took both ends of a double header at Marion Wednesday, walking away with a 2-1 victory in each of the pitching duels. The sweep cuts the Bobcats' lead over rival Tradewater in half. At the end o of the night, Marion (13-10, 14-10 overall) led second-place Owensboro (12-12), who split a twin bill with Fulton, by 1.5 games and Tradewater (12-13) by two.

Szathmary

In the first game, Daniel Szathmary gave up both Pirate runs in his first start, which ended in his first loss of the year. Szathmary (2-1) threw six strong innings, but Tradewater's Russ Gilliam bested him, giving up only one run on seven hits for a complete-game victory. Szathmary, who has served as closer Matt Vollenweider's set-up man for most of the season, gave up only five hits and one of his runs allowed was unearned.

A lead-off triple from Pirate slugger Derek Etsell in the sixth proved to be the difference in the game. He was promptly driven in by a sacrifice fly from the next batter to face Szathmary.

Garret Hunt, normally a stater for Marion, pitched a scoreless top of the seventh, giving the Bobcat bats a chance to tie or win the game in the final frame of regulation. Gilliam, however, remained sharp and sat down the Marion offense in order to end the game.

At the plate, Cody Kottich, Caleb Eickhoff and Kyle Vander Ark all went 2-for-3, with Vander Ark driving in Marion's only run with one in the bottom of the fourth with one of his two doubles on the night. Taylor Banks, who scored the sole run, accounted for the only other hit for the Bobcats.

Click here for Game 1 box score.

Banks

In the nightcap, all of the scoring came early with the Pirates posting a run in each of the first two innings and Marion putting its lone run on the board in the home half of the second.

Like in the first game, Marion's starter sparkled on the mound, but came up short thanks to a defensive miscue in the second that allowed Tradewater's Chris Mitko to score on a one-out double. Zach Hall dropped to 2-2 with the complete-game loss for the Bobcats, but pushed his strikeout total on the year to 40 in 29 innings pitched. At the end of the night, he had struck out more batters than any other pitcher in the league.

But Hall and the Bobcats would have gladly traded the strikes for a couple more runs of former Bobcat lefty Caleb Luttrell. Luttrell (1-2) threw five innings for the Pirates, nailing down the win by allowing only one run on two hits. The Pirate bullpen would allow only one more hit in keeping Marion scoreless over the final two innings.

Tradewater pitchers allowed only singles to Schmitt, Banks and Desmond Roberts. Marion would put three more runners on courtesy of the walk, one of which led to the team's only run of the night. A lead-off walk issued to Vander Ark would be Luttrell's worst mistake of the night. Vander Ark would come around to score on an RBI-single from Banks.

Marion will try to right the ship and prevent a series sweep Thursday at Guess Field. The 7:05 p.m. start against the Pirates will be just the third game of an eight-day, 10-game homestand.

Click here for Game 2 box score.

Fulton 4, Owensboro 2
The Railroaders doubled up Owensboro in the first game of a double header, send the hosts to a 4-2 defeat.

Owensboro 8, Fulton 4
Owensboro returned the favor in the second game to split the bill, defeating the Railroaders 8-4 to remain in second place.