MMC completes season sweep with win

The Gehlen baseball team dropped a 10-2 decision to the No. 10 Eagles of Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn on Thursday.

Devin Groenhagen started for the Jays and pitched five solid innings before running into trouble in the sixth.

The sophomore walked four hitters before being replaced by Tyler Meyer as the Eagles plated six in the frame to turn a close 4-2 advantage into a 10-2 advantage.

"He pitched a great game up until that point," Gehlen coach Marty Kurth said. "I thought he threw a great game and then he got a little tired. Most of his walks happened to be in that inning."

Groenhagen allowed seven hits and nine runs - seven earned - in five-plus innings of work. He stuck out one and walked six.

Meyer allowed one run on two hits in his lone inning of work.

"That's a tough spot to bring Tyler Meyer in to - with the bases loaded," Kurth said.

The Eagles scored their first run in the first inning before Gehlen took its only lead of the game with two runs in the second.

Meyer opened the frame with a single and one out later, Michael Lamoreux drew a walk. Groenhagen ripped a two-run double to give himself and his team a 2-1 lead.

The Eagles tied it in the fourth and took a 4-2 lead with two runs in the fifth before breaking it open in the sixth.

"Marcus is a good quality team," Kurth said. "We played really good baseball for five innings and then things kind of got out of hand in the sixth inning."

Meyer was 2-for-3 to lead the Gehlen offense. Groenhagen and Aaron Schlesser each doubled as Gehlen mustered just four hits for the evening.

"These are the things we have to be able to finish," Kurth said. "We have to be able to play a complete game. We played great for five innings, but in high school you have to play seven."

The Jays (4-11, 2-9) return to action at the Spalding tournament on Friday and Saturday.