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Tiger bats cold in loss to Dover

Photo by Ron Johnston Marietta’s Devon Moss, right, is greeted by teammates Kail Hill and Caleb Scharff (44) after scoring the Tigers’ only run in a 4-1 loss to Dover during a high school baseball game Thursday at Legion Field.

MARIETTA — Marietta High had difficulty making contact.

The Tigers struck out 15 times en route to a 4-1 setback to Dover High Thursday in an East Central Ohio League baseball game at Legion Field.

“Offensively, we did not do what we take pride in,” said first-year MHS skipper Josh McKitrick. “Fifteen strikeouts and five looking, that’s inexcusable for us.

“We take a lot of pride all year… and in all the scrimmages and the three games we played so far, we put the ball in play, and we forced the defense to make plays — and that’s what has won us games so far. Today, we just didn’t do it. Fifteen of the 21 outs were strikeouts. You’re not going to win any games doing that.”

Dover junior Alec Sayre, who has already committed to NCAA Division I Missouri, was the principal reason why the Tigers were swinging in the breeze so much. The 6-foot right-hander fanned a career-high14, walked four, and allowed two hits and one earned run in six innings of work on the bump.

“He is a hard-throwing righty, and sometimes he’s had a little control issues,” said Dover boss Jeff Fondriest. “I know tonight he didn’t turn it loose very often. We’re just trying to get him to zone in on throwing more strikes. We’re a lot more concerned with location right now than velocity.”

Fondriest said that Sayre “didn’t play baseball at all last year.”

“He had a left shoulder injury,” the coach added. “He played a little bit as a freshman.

“He’s committed to Missouri. He’s got two years to improve. He’s got a long ways to go.”

Senior Kooper Smith picked up a save for the Tornadoes. Owen Poland and Ethan Snyder each had two hits for the winners, while Justin Shepler drove in a pair of runs.

Marietta (3-1, 0-1) suffered its first defeat of the spring. Southpaw reliever Heath Hill was the losing pitcher, while right-handed starter Derek Duckworth got a no-decision.

Duckworth threw five innings of three-hit ball, fanning seven, walking one, and allowing one earned run.

“I thought our pitching was decent for us,” McKitrick said. “It was definitely good enough to win.

“Defensively, we had some mistakes that I think we need to clear up with some of the outfielders.”

Dover staked itself to a 1-0 advantage in the second when Poland doubled to left, advanced to third on a groundout, and scored on Shepler’s two-basehit to left center.

“We didn’t take really good routes today to some of those balls that I thought should’ve been caught early on,” McKitrick said. “Our outfielders are good enough to catch those balls.”

In the bottom of the third, MHS tied the score 1-1. Leading off, Devon Moss walked, and went to second on Kail Hill’s sacrifice bunt. The Tiger second baseman then hustled to third on a Sayre wild pitch and legged it home on Jarrett Jackson’s two-out single to left.

The Tornadoes broke the game open with a three-run last at-bat in the top of the seventh. After Poland led off with a single, pinch runner Mason Bell advanced to second on Brennan McCune’s sac bunt.

Bell then went to third on a Heath Hill wild pitch, and scored on Shepler’s sac fly to right, making it 2-1. Keeping the inning alive, Mitchell Woodhall singled, and legged it home on Snyder’s RBI hit to right.

After Snyder swiped second, he came around to score on Bandon Troyer’s double to left to cap all the scoring in the contest.

Marietta is scheduled to host New Philadelphia in another ECOL game at 5 p.m. today.

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