BATAVIA — Loveland is hitting its stride.
The Tigers won three straight, are tied with Lebanon with the lead in the Eastern Cincinnati Conference and are state-ranked in the latest Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll.
No. 16-ranked Loveland (5-1, 6-2) won its third straight game April 18 in a 6-1 road victory against West Clermont behind the arm of starter Drew Oerther. The junior limited the Wolves (1-4, 4-4) to two hits over six innings. He struck out 11 batters and had just one run cross home plate to help the Tigers earn a season sweep of the Wolves.
Oerther set the tone early by striking out the side in the first inning and punching out nine batters through four frames. His lone blemish was in the fifth inning when he plunked leadoff hitter Joe Lammers and allowed a single to Matthew Stathos as Lammers scampered to third. A sacrifice fly by Jacob Huddleson brought Lammers home for a 5-1 game.
Loveland got that run back in the top of the fifth on Derek Fleming’s RBI single that scored CJ Margraf. Meanwhile, Oerther’s night concluded by striking out two of the final three batters he faced in the sixth inning.
To read the full story, purchase your copy of The Clermont Sun, or become a subscriber and never miss local coverage.
Subscribe to The Clermont Sun today!