Portage South Blanks the Flying Squirrels

The Portage South Black Squirrels matched up with the Fairlawn Flying Squirrels at Roosevelt Park on Monday night.  Portage South took the early lead with 2 runs in the first inning.  Ryan Kitay singled to right field and Charlie Drumm followed with a triple to left center field, scoring Kitay.  Justin Nelson would triple to right field to plate Drumm.  PS added to the lead with another run in the second inning.  Logan Poole and Jason Preising would each single and Lucius Ivory walked to load the bases.  Kitay would drop a fly ball into left field to score Poole.  In the third inning, the Black Squirrels would break the game open with a 5-run frame.  Ty Moorhead led off the inning with a double to left.  Nelson and Matt Dile walked to load the bases.  Chad Harper would single down the third base line to score Moorhead.  Poole hit a ground rule double to left that would score Nelson and Dile and move Harper to third.  Harper scored on a wild pitch just before Preising doubled to left center and scoring Poole.  Portage South would get another run in the fifth and 2 more in the sixth to make it 11-0.  In the fifth, Harper would double to left and score when Michael Briggs reached on an error.  PS got the 2 runs in the sixth with bases loaded walks earned by Harper and Poole.  Yianni Skeriotis got the win, throwing 4 scoreless innings in his first start for the Black Squirrels.  Jonathan Kountis struck out all 6 batters he faced in his 2 innings of relief.  Poole went 2-3 with 2 runs and 3 RBI to lead the Portage South offense. 

Haley’s Late-Inning Fire Seals Tight Win Over Pirates

Portage South Black Squirrels would face the Cleveland Pirates on Saturday afternoon at Old Forge.  PS got the scoring going early with 2 runs in the first inning.  Josh Salinas singled to right field and Justin Nelson followed with a double.  Jesse Michel singled on a line drive to center field, scoring Salinas and Nelson.  Ryan Kitay reached on an error, then stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Salinas singled down the third base line, but the third baseman kept the ball on the infield and Kitay at third.  Nelson walked to load the bases.  Josh Simmons singled to left field to score Ktay and make it 3-0.  The Pirates would score 2 runs in the fourth inning and cut the lead to 3-2.  Kevin Haley would only allow 2 hits over the final 3 scoreless innings to secure the win.  He went the distance on the mound for his 5th victory of the season, striking out seven.  Salinas led the offense with 2 hits and a run scored.

Portage South Keeps Composure, Shuts Down Outlaws' Late Push

The Portage South Black Squirrels met the Canton Outlaws at Jackson High School Wednesday night.  The Outlaws got the scoring going with a run in the second inning.  Portage South would come back in the bottom half with a 6-run outburst to grab the lead.  Matt Dile was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.  Jesse Michel singled to center, moving Dile to third.  Mike Haney followed with a walk to load the bases and Mike Briggs singled up the middle to score Dile and Michel.  Lucius Ivory would walk to reload the bases before Josh Salinas ripped a hard ground ball down the third base line for a double, scoring Haney and Briggs.  Charlie Drumm's groundout scored Ivory and Ty Moorhead added a RBI groundout of his own to score Salinas.  The Outlaws would cut the lead to 6-3 with 2 runs in the third inning, but PS got one run back in the bottom frame.  For the second straight inning, Dile was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning.  After Dile stole second, Haney singled to center to score him.  Canton would get within one run at 7-6 with a 3-run fifth inning, but that was as close as it would be.  The Black Squirrels added an insurance run in the sixth to make it 8-6.  After walks by Haney, Jason Preising and Salinas, Drumm would score Haney with a sacrifice fly to left.  Eric Schaffer picked up the win, going 4.1 innings on the mound.  Kevin Haley picked up the save with 2.2 innings of scoreless relief.  Salinas and Briggs led the Portage South offense with a hit and 2 RBIs each.

Portage South Overcomes Slow Start, Surges Past Irish

The Portage South Black Squirrels faced the Akron Irish at Roosevelt Park on Wednesday night. Both pitchers started off holding the offenses in check, then the Irish was able to scratch a run across in the third inning for the early lead.  Portage South came back with 2 runs in the fifth to pull ahead 2-1.  Lucius Ivory reached on a broken bat single to center.  Ryan Kitay followed with an infield single to make it first and second.  Ty Moorhead singled to load the bases and Matt Dile would score Ivory on a line drive single up the middle.  Kitay was able to cross the plate when Jesse Michel hit a ball that kicked off the third baseman's glove.  PS added 3 more runs in the sixth to open the game up for a 5-1 lead.  Ivory singled down the first base line with one out in the sixth.  Josh Salinas would then double to left center and score Ivory.  Moorhead reaches on a single to center that plated Salinas.  Dile reached on an error, making it first and second with 2 outs and Michel rips a single into center to score Moorhead.  In the seventh, the Black Squirrels one more insurance run.  Ryan Schromm doubled to deep center and scored on a line drive single by Josh Simmons.  Kevin Haley went 5 innings on the mound for the victory, allowing just the one run.  Yianni Skeriotis threw 2 scoreless innings to finish the game for Portage South.  Moorhead led the Black Squirrels offense with 3 hits. 

Black Squirrels Drop Two to the Ohio Gamecocks

The Portage South Black Squirrels would face the Ohio Gamecocks in a doubleheader at Old Forge on Sunday.  In game one, Portage South would be first on the board in the top of the third inning with a run.  Ryan Kitay singled to lead off the inning, then Charlie Drumm followed with a single to move Kitay to second.  Justin Nelson would single to center, with 2 outs, to score Kitay.  The Gamecocks would tie the game in the bottom of the inning at 1-1.  The Black Squirrels would again regain the lead with a run in the fourth inning.  Mike Haney III walked with 2 outs and then advanced to third when the catcher threw the ball away attempting to throw out Haney III.  Kitay then singled to center to score Haney III.  Once again, the Gamecocks would tie the game with a run in the bottom half of the inning.  With the game tied 2-2, it would go into extra innings.  After Portage South failed to score in their half of the inning, the Gamecocks were able to score on a sacrifice fly for the 3-2 victory.  Jonathan Kountis went 7 innings on the mound for the no decision, striking out 11.  Kitay and Drumm had 3 hits apiece for the Black Squirrels offense.

In game two, the Ohio Gamecocks jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first.  The Gamecocks added to the lead with a 3-run third to make it 6-0.  Portage South cut the lead to 2 with a 4-run stanza in the bottom of the third.  Charlie Drumm walked with one out and Chad Harper followed with a single to right.  Justin Nelson would hit a line drive to center for a single that scored Drumm and moved Harper to third.  Ryan Schromm would score Harper with a sacrifice fly to center.  Jason Preising singled to left advancing Nelson to third.  A single to right field by Zach Lewis scored Nelson and move Preising into scoring position.  Jesse Michel's single to center plated Preising for the fourth run of the inning.  The Gamecocks added another run in the fifth and 2 more in the sixth for a 9-4 win.  Nelson led the Black Squirrels offense with 3 hits.  Preising and Lewis added 2 hits each. 

Portage South Bats Ignite in Win Over Fury

The Portage South Black Squirrels would face Fury Baseball at Roosevelt Park on Wednesday night.  Portage South offense came out strong with an 8-run first inning.  Charlie Drumm would reach on an error and move to second on that same error.  Justin Nelson would walk and Matt Dile singled home Drumm.  Ryan Schromm earned a walk to load the bases with 2 outs.  Jason Preising followed with a double to center, scoring Nelson and Dile.  Josh Simmons singled to left field to bring home Schromm and Preising, making it 5-0.  Lucius Ivory would single to left and Chad Harper walked to reload the bases.  Drumm added a single to score Simmons and Ivory.  Ty Moorhead reached on an error that also scored Harper and pushed the lead to 8-0 after one inning.  In the second inning, PS would add to the lead with 3 more runs.  Dile singeld to lead off the inning and advance to second on a groundout by Schromm.  Preising singled to right field, followed by a single by Simmons that scored Dile.  Ivory doubled to centerfield to plate Preising and Simmons would score on a sacrifice fly by Harper for the 11-0 lead.  The score would remain the same until the fourth inning when the Black Squirrels tacked on 5 more runs for the 16-0 advantage.  Zach Lewis led off the inning with a single and would advance to third on a single by Mike Briggs.  Lewis was able to score on the throw.  Briggs was moved to third on a single by Simmons and a Harper double scored Briggs.  Drumm singled past the shortstop to score Simmons.  Nelson singled down the first base line to score Harper and move Drumm to third, then Dile followed with a single to score Drumm.  Logan Poole went 4 scoreless innings on the mound for the victory.  Nelson threw a scoreless fifth to secure the win in his PS pitching debut.  Simmons led the offense with 3 hits and 3 RBI.  Ivory and Dile also had 3 hits each for the Black Saquirrels.  With the win, Portage South was now 9-2 on the season.

Black Squirrels Ride Game One Comeback to Doubleheader Sweep

The Portage South Black Squirrels would face the Akron Rays on Sunday at Roosevelt Park in a doubleheader.  In game one, the Rays would jump out to the early lead with 4 runs in the first inning and added 2 more in the third, making the score 6-0.  PS would finally get the bats going in the bottom half of the third.  Josh Simmons would walk to start the inning.  Chad Harper walked and moved Simmons to second.  Charlie Drumm then doubled home Simmons.  Justin Nelson walked to load the bases and a wild pitch would score Harper and move all runners up one base.  Matt Dile would earn a walk to reload the bases and Ryan Schromm followed with a single to left, scoring Drumm and Nelson.  Simmons would bat again in the inning and deliver a 2-run single to center to tie the game at 6-6.  The Black Squirrels would take the lead with a run in the fourth inning.  Drumm singled to center and would advance to second on a groudout by Josh Salinas.  A Nelson line drive single to center scored Drumm for a 7-6 lead.  After a tough start, Kevin Haley shut down the Rays offense over the final 4 innings for the win.  Drumm and Nelson lead the Portage South offense with 2 hits each.

The Black Squirrels would carry the momentum in the second game, grabbing the early lead in this one with a 4-run first inning.  Chad Harper lead off the game with a double and Charlie Drumm followed with a double to score Harper.  Matt Dile singles to right field, scoring Drumm.  Justin Nelson walked to make it first and second, then Ryan Schromm singled to right to score Dile and advance Nelson to third.  A RBI groundout by Zach Lewis would plate Nelson and give PS the 4-0 lead.  The Rays would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first with 2 runs, but Portage South got a run back in the top of the second.  Harper would double to left field to start the inning and advance to third on an error.  Drumm would bring home Harper on a sacrifice fly for the 5-2 lead.  PS added 3 more runs in the fifth inning.  Lewis walked and Mike Haney III followed with a single.  Lucius Ivory walked to load the bases and Harper would collect his 3rd double of the game, scoring all 3 runners.  The Black Squirrels opened the lead to 11-2 with a 3-run seventh inning, as well.  Harper walked with two outs and stole second, then advanced to third on an error.  Drumm singled to center to score Harper.  Dile walked to put runners at first and second, then Nelson's double to center would score Drumm and Dile.  The Akron Rays scored 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh, but Portage South held on to win 11-5.  Eric Schaffer went 6 innings for the win.  Harper and Drumm, each had 3 hits and 3 RBI to lead the Black Squirrel offense. 

Black Squirrels Sweep Split Twinbill

The Portage South Black Squirrels faced two different opponents on Sunday in a split doubleheader at Roosevelt Park.  In game one, PS would play the Fairlawn Flying Squirrels.  The Black Squirrels were able to score first with a run in the first inning.  Lucius Ivory was hit by a pitch and stole second.  Jesse Michel walked, making it first and second.  Ryan Schromm would single to right with two outs, scoring Ivory.  It would remain 1-0 until the fifth inning when Portage South would push another run across.  Chad Harper would double to right center field and come home on a single by Michel.  Fairlawn would cut it to 2-1 with a run in the sixth, but PS would come right back in the top of the seventh with a run.  Harper singled and Ivory followed with a triple down the right field line to score Harper.  Jonathan Kountis went 7 strong innings on the mound for the win, striking out 15 for the second consecutive game.  Harper led the offense with 2 hits and scored 2 runs.

In game two, Portage South hosted the Akron Stingers.  PS again was able to score a run in the first inning.  Chad Harper led off the inning with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Kevin Haley.  Jesse Michel would score Harper on a RBI groundout.  The Black Squirrels broke the game open with a 4-run inning in the second.  Ryan Schromm, Jason Preising and Zach Lewis all reached on walks to load the bases.  With 2 outs Harper would hit a grand slam to right field, making it 5-0.  The Stingers would get 2 runs back in the fourth to cut into the lead, but Portage South would come back with a run in the fifth and 2 more in the sixth to make the score 8-2.  In the fifth, Michel doubled to left center and advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Schromm would score Michel on a sacrifice fly to center.  Mike Haney III singled in the sixth, then Lucius Ivory was hit by a pitch and Harper singled to load the bases.  Haney III would score on a wild pitch and Lyndon Rainey drove a ball deep to left to score Ivory on a sacrifice fly.  Eric Schaffer went 6 innings for the win, allowing just the 2 runs and striking out four.  Haley threw a scoreless 7th to seal the victory.  Harper was 3-4 with a 2B, HR and 4 RBI to lead the Black Squirrels. 

Portage South’s 7th-Inning Rally Comes Up Short

Portage South Black Squirrels would host Steve's Sports on Thursday night at Roosevelt Park.  Steve's took the early lead with 2 runs in the second inning.  In the bottom of the second, PS cut the lead in half with a run to make it 2-1.  Justin Nelson walked to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a wild pitch.  Jason Preising singled up the middle to drive home Nelson.  The Black Squirrels would tie the game in the third inning.  Ty Moorhead singled with 2 outs and moved to second on a Jesse Michel single.  Nelson followed with a double that scored Moorhead.  Steve's Sports got a run in the fifth to go back ahead 3-2.  In the seventh, Portage South put themselves in place to tie the game with 1 out.  Michael Briggs singled down the third base line then Lucius Ivory was hit by a pitch to make it first and second.  Moorhead hit a ball to right that looked to get down, but a questionable diving catch and an umpire calling out a runner for not tagging up ended the rally.  Kevin Haley threw well in the loss, going all seven innings and striking out eight.  Michel and Nelson led the offense with 2 hits each. 

Mike Haney III Walks It Off While Kountis Flirts with Perfection

Portage South Black Squirrels would face the Akron Stingers on Thursday night at Roosevelt Park.  This game was a pitchers duel with hits at a premium.  Ty Moorhead would double in the first with 2-outs, but PS was not able to get him home.  Neither team had a player with a hit until the fourth inning, when Justin Nelson singled up the middle.  The Black Squirrels threatened in the sixth with Chad Harper leading off the sixth inning with a triple, but PS could not push him across and it remained scoreless.  The Stingers got their first base runner in the top of the seventh when the leadoff hitter hit a double to right field, but was stranded there.  In the bottom of the seventh, Charlie Drumm would walk with one out then steal second.  Zach Lewis drew a walk to make it first and second with one out.  With a 1-1 count, Mike Haney III would double to left and score Drumm for the walk off win.  Jonathan Kountis went the distance on the mound, allowing just 1 hit and striking out 15.  The 15 strikeouts ties a PS single game record, which was accomplished last by Kountis in 2020.

Black Squirrels Take 2 from the Pirates

The Portage South Black Squirrels would face the Cleveland Pirates at Roosevelt Park for a doubleheader on Sunday.  Portage South was able to get on the board first with 3 runs in the third inning.  Lucius Ivory would walk to leadoff the inning, followed by Chad Harper being hit by a pitch.  Charlie Drumm would move both runners with a sacrifice bunt.  Ivory would score on a wild pitch just before Matt Dile walked, with Harper advancing to third.  Justin Nelson drove in Harper with a RBI groundout and Jesse Michel would single to left to score Dile to make it 3-0.  The Pirates came back in the fourth with 2 runs, cutting the lead to 3-2.  PS would get another run in the top of the fifth when Harper reached after being hit by a pitch, stealing second and eventually scoring on a wild pitch.  The Black Squirrels broke the game open in the sixth with a 6-run frame.  Portage South got 3 runs on wild pitches, then Nelson drew a bases loaded walk and Ryan Schromm drove in 2 runs with a single up the middle.  PS put the game away with 4 more runs in the seventh to make it 14-2.  Zach Lewis would single to right, followed by Harper walking and Lyndon Rainey being hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Dile scored Lewis on a groundout and then Nelson followed with a 3-run homerun to left field.  Kevin Haley when the distance on the mound for his second victory of the season, striking out five.  Nelson led the way at the plate, going 2-4 with a HR and 5 RBI.  Schromm also had 2 hits in his Black Squirrel debut.

In game two, Portage South picked up where they left off in game one with 2 runs in the first.  Charlie Drumm walked and advanced to second on a pickoff throw that got away from the first baseman.  Jesse Michel would single home Drumm.  Justin Nelson would follow with a single to right that was bobbled by the rightfielder and allowed Michel to score.  PS added 3 more runs in the fifth inning.  Lucius Ivory walked to start the inning and Chad Harper followed with a single to right.  After both players steal a base, Michel would walk to load the bases.  Nelson walked to score Ivory, then Matt Dile would earn a bases loaded walk to score Harper.  Logan Poole singled to left scoring Zach Lewis, who was running for Michel, and make the score 5-0.  The Black Squirrels added an insurance run in the sixth.  Harper and Kevin Haley, each singled and Lewis would double to left center, scoring Harper.  The Pirates would get a run in the seventh, but Portage South would win 6-1.  Jonathan Kountis went 5 innings on the mound for the win, striking out eight.  Eric Schaffer threw 2 innings in relief.  Harper and Poole each had 2 hits to lead the Black Squirrel offense.