Dutchmen designated hitter Kyle Bauer eyes a ball to swing at against Union last Thursday night in Summer baseball action at Memorial Field. Owensville went on to win their season finale by a final count of 11-1 in six innings. Kevin Lay’s Summer Dutchmen finished with a 10-6 record in a schedule that had several games cancelled by rain or the opposing teams.

Their season ended last Thursday night as Union paid a visit to Memorial Field with just nine players. Instead of the scheduled doubleheader, only one game was played with the Dutchmen coming out on top by an 11-1 score in six innings.

With left-hander Ethan Joers on the mound for Owensville, the Dutchmen held Union scoreless in the top half of the first inning.

“Having a left-handed pitcher like Ethan (Joers) helped us tremendously throughout our schedule,” Lay said. “Not only did he pitch for our team, he is also pitching for New Haven’s Senior Legion team this summer. We worked out an arrangement at the beginning of our season that allowed him to play for both teams.”

Going to work in the bottom of the first, Owensville started a two-out rally with a Ryan Cooper single. Joers then helped his own cause with a RBI triple to give the Dutchmen a 1-0 lead. Joers then came around to score on a RBI off the bat of Joel Littrell for a 2-0 lead after one inning.

Joers allowed his first base runner of the game in the top of the second with one out. Cooper caught him trying to steal second a short time later.

“(Ryan) Cooper was simply outstanding behind the plate,” Lay said. “He kept pitchers under control on days where it was getting tough for them. He also put the team on his back in key situations.”

Union cut the Dutchmen lead to 2-1 in the top of the third with a run on two hits. Owensville answered in the bottom of the third inning with two tallies on two hits, a walk and a Union error. Cooper and Matt Jett both crossed the plate to extend the Dutchmen lead to 4-1 through three innings of action.

Fourth-inning action saw Joers needing only 15 pitches to retire Union in order with three strikeouts. Owensville also went scoreless in their half of the fourth inning.

Two-out rallies do not come often and Union had one in the top of the fifth. Their rally started with a walk and continued with a Dutchmen error. Joers pitched around the jam without allowing a run to cross the plate.

After escaping the jam in the top of the fifth, Owensville stretched their lead in the bottom of the fifth. Designated hitter Kyle Bauer reached on an error to start the inning and scored later in the inning. Jett and Hayden Brown followed with back-to-back singles and also scored to give the Dutchmen a 7-1 lead after five innings.

Owensville continued their hit parade in the bottom of the sixth after holding Union scoreless in the top half of the inning. Bauer started the offense again with a leadoff single with Jett, Brown and Cooper all following with base hits. All four runners scored as the Dutchmen won their season finale by an 11-1 score in six innings.

Joers and Cooper led the Dutchmen hitting attack with three apiece. Jett, Brown and Littrell also chipped in two hits while Hollander and Bauer also recorded single hits in the game.

“Everyone on the team made great improvements throughout the season,” Lay said. “I’m proud of these guys for the progress they’ve made throughout the Summer and I look forward to seeing how it helps them this Spring.

Jett and Cooper crossed the plate three times each for Owensville while Brown, Bauer and Joers accounted for the other five Dutchmen tallies.

“I would also like to thank all of the parents and members of the community that helped make this a successful Summer season,” Lay said. “It takes a lot of time and effort to pull something like this off and it was well worth it.”