Roth delivers decisive blow

~ The Crusaders rode their offense to the Oak Ridge tourney title.

OAK RIDGE -- Oak Ridge coach Jason Niswonger had seen enough and went to his bullpen after Ethan Sachs had given up six runs without recording an out in the third inning.

But the move did not cool the hot Saxony Lutheran hitters as Garret Light replaced Sachs with the bases loaded.

Saxony senior Chris Roth smashed the first pitch Light threw over the fence in right field for a grand slam.

"That was the killer one," Saxony senior Bret Steffens said about Roth's grand slam. "That was stepping on their necks and finishing the game."

Saxony Lutheran shortstop Garrett Fritsche fields an Oak Ridge grounder Saturday, April 18, 2009, at Oak Ridge. (KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com)

Roth's shot capped a 10-run third inning in which Saxony stroked eight hits, including five for extra bases. The Crusaders rolled to a 13-2 victory in five innings to win the Oak Ridge tournament for the third time in the past four years.

The only year Saxony (8-0) did not won the tournament during the span was two years ago when it was not part of the tournament field.

"We would have liked to have [won] our own invitational," Niswonger said. "It seems like it's the Saxony Invitational."

Roth went 3-for-4, with a double and single in addition to his homer. He also earned the victory on the mound to improve to 4-0 this spring.

"We had noticed that [Sachs] was throwing a lot of fastballs and we were just able to sit on those and hit them well that inning," Roth said about the third inning.

Starter Ethan Sachs delivers against Saxony Lutheran Saturday, April 18, 2009, at Oak Ridge. (KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com)

The game went scoreless until the top of the third when the Saxony bats exploded. But it all started on a small bunt near the mound that Sachs fielded but fired over first.

"Ethan just made a bad throw to first," Niswonger said. "And then it just seemed like [Saxony] was hitting the ball right on the line. They had several doubles."

After Sachs' error, which allowed Chad Bachmann to reach base, the Crusaders banged out seven straight hits, including four doubles. Altogether the first 11 batters in the inning reached as Sachs also walked two batters right before he was taken out.

The rally included a two-run single by Spencer Sander that put the Crusaders on the board 2-0, and a two-run double by Trent Steffens that made the score 6-0.

"I don't want to make excuses, and I never want to blame umpires, but it seemed like he [Sachs] had to put the ball right down the middle to get a call," Niswonger said. "And if you do that with a good hitting team, they're just going to hit it hard, and they did. So he was getting frustrated because he felt like he had to throw it right down the middle. Whether he really did have to throw it right down the middle, he felt like he did and they punished him for it."

Saxony Lutheran third baseman Trent Steffens throws out a runner after making a diving stop Saturday in Oak Ridge. (KIT DOYLE ~ kdoyle@semissourian.com)

Roth and Sander stood near each other watching Light throw his warmup tosses after Sachs had been knocked out.

"I was like, 'New pitcher, just relax and drive it,'" Sander said about what he told Roth. "And he steps up there and hits a home run."

Roth allowed a baserunner in every inning but the second against an Oak Ridge (5-3) lineup that has been struggling this spring. Its second highest run total in any of its eight games is four.

Roth got into some trouble in the bottom of the third when he gave up two hits and a walk to load the bases with no outs. But he got the next hitter to ground into a 3-2-3 double play.

Roth said he was frustrated at times because he was having trouble hitting his spots.

Oak Ridge center fielder Lucas Rohde clamps down on a pop fly for an out.

Roth did allow a two-run single to Brett Thomas before getting out of the third.

"[His] location wasn't great," catcher Bret Steffens said about Roth. "He's pitched better. But for the most part, other than that one inning he got in trouble, he hit spots well enough and made enough good pitches to get outs."

Saxony 00(10) 21 -- 13 15 0

Oak Ridge 002 00 -- 2 6 2

WP -- Chris Roth 4-0. LP -- Ethan Sachs. HR -- Roth (SL). 2B -- Roth (SL), Garrett Fritsche (SL), Bret Steffens (SL) 2, Trent Steffens (SL), Ryan Sprandel (SL), Stephen Wright (OR). Multiple hits -- Saxony: Roth 3-4, Sander 2-4, Fritsche 2-3, Bryant Steffens 2-4), Bret Steffens 2-3, Trent Steffens 2-4. Oak Ridge -- Wright 2-2, Dakota Zoellner 2-2. Records -- Saxony 8-0, Oak Ridge 5-3.