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2009-11-21

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Lifestyles

Monday, June 29, 2009 10:04 AM

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Ottawa American Legion A third baseman Gene Dydell had five RBIs and hit two triples Saturday in Pomona. Ottawa fell twice to West Franklin by 12-11 scores. Both games were decided in the seventh inning.

Falcons make enough plays to sweep Ottawa Legion A

Wild affairs

By Greg Mast/Herald Sports Editor

POMONA — There were two points of views. Both in opposite directions.

The Ottawa American Legion A and West Franklin baseball teams met on a hot Saturday afternoon in Pomona. Both games went the distance.

Both games were topsy-turvy. It turned out there was only one winner.

The Falcons nipped Ottawa twice — both games settled in the seventh inning — by identical scores of 12-11.

That is where the similarities stopped. The Falcons were happy to come out on the winning side and saw the games as momentum builders.

Ottawa saw the losses as lost opportunities.

“I am thrilled,” Falcons coach Ian Evans said after the sweep and rallying from a 9-2 deficit in the nightcap. “We always thought we were in it.

“We made plays when we had to. It gives you more confidence.”

Ottawa coach Brian Long said his team let the Falcons off the hook.

“We have to learn how to win,” Long said. “You are playing to win. We are baseball dumb right now. We have a long ways to go.”

Both games were full of mental and physical miscues. The opening game took three hours, but had plenty of drama. The nightcap turned into a tense battle in the late innings.

“We got our butts kicked mentally in both games,” Long said. “It all comes down to the mental side.”

Evans said the Falcons took advantage of the Ottawa mistakes.

“We are building momentum,” he said.

The first game was back and forth. Pomona led 3-1 after the first inning. Both teams scored four runs in the third inning. Ottawa’s Gene Dydell smashed a two-RBI triple to center and scored when the Falcon fielders could not get the ball back into the infield.

West Franklin came back, highlighted by RBIs from Storm Jackson and Tyler Nitcher. That gave the Falcons a 9-6 lead.

West Franklin added two in the in the fourth as the Falcons took advantage of three hit batters and a walk.

Ottawa rallied back with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Adam Fritts had an RBI double in the sixth.

Ottawa tied the game with three runs in the top of the seventh inning. West Franklin walked five and hit a batter.

The Falcons won the game with a run in the bottom of the seventh on two walks, a single and a hit batter.

The nightcap saw the Falcons jump on top 2-0 in the first inning as Nitcher ripped an RBI triple and later scored.

Ottawa scored two in the second inning. Evan Mietchen had an RBI single.

Ottawa added a run in the third and scored six in the fourth inning to take a 9-2 lead.

The Falcons scored five in the fourth inning, two came home on Nitcher’s double. That sliced Ottawa’s lead to 9-7.

West Franklin scored five in the sixth inning. Three came home on Storm Mattas’ home run. The Falcons led 12-9 heading to the seventh inning.

Ottawa rallied back. Fritts and Jake Huddlestun singled and scored on Dydell’s triple. After a pop up, then came a big play.

Colby Simon grounded to third. The Falcons threw out Simon at first base. Dydell then attempted to score and was gunned down at the plate to end the game.

“It was back and forth the whole time,” Evans said.

Ottawa plays tonight at Emporia, while the Falcons play Garnett.

Greg Mast can be reached at sports@ottawaherald.com. Comment on this story at ottawaherald.com.