STEAM EARN FIRST ROAD VICTORY OVER HUSTERS
LEXINGTON, KY – The Steam used a 3-run second inning to jump out in front of the Lexington Hustlers and earn 6-2 road victory.
Starting pitcher Matt Jefferson (Northern Kentucky) went 5 1/3 innings, giving up two runs and five hits while striking out four batters to chalk up his first victory of the summer. The relief pitching combination of Ryan James (Transylvania/Elder), Ryan Martin (Michigan State/Turpin) and Brian Kirschbaum (Huntington/Cincinnati Christian) pitched 3 2/3 of shutout baseball giving up just two hits. The staff as a whole struck out eight Lexington batters during the game.
The Steam got on the board first in the second inning when Josh Ungerbuehler (Marietta/Roger Bacon) stroked a bases-loaded double, in his first at-bat of the season, to drive in a pair of runs. A third run scored when Tim O’Conner (Indiana/Elder) scored on a groundout by leftfielder Parker Wormsley (Tennessee).
Max Andresen (Miami) blasted a home run in the fourth inning to extend the Steam’s lead to 4-0. The left-handed hitting catcher led the way offensively for the Steam by going 2-for-4 with the homer and two runs scored.
After the Hustlers scored a run in the bottom half of the fourth inning, Cincinnati got the run back in fifth inning. With two outs, back-to-back doubles by a pair of Moeller graduates, Robby Sunderman (Dayton) and Jake Madsen (Ohio University) to make the score 5-1.
Lexington centerfielder David Simmons hit a solo homer off Jefferson in the bottom of the fifth but the Steam countered with a run in the ninth to make the final score 6-2.
The Steam will finish the two-day road trip on Wednesday with a trip to Westview Park in Celina, Ohio to face the Grand Lake Mariners at 7:15.
STEAM 0 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 - 6 7 0
HUSTLERS 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 - 2 7 1
WP – Matt Jefferson (1-0)
LP – Shaun Meyer (1-1)
CIN – Andresen 2-4, HR, 2RBI, 2R, Ungerbuehler 1-3, 2B, 2RBI, Madsen 1-4, 2B, RBI, Wormsley 1-4, 2B, RBI, Sunderman 2B, R.
LEX – Simmons 2-4, HR, RBI, R, Greenwell 1-4, 2B, R, Thomas 1-3, RBI.