Scott City scores late to edge Oran 2-1

The Scott City and Oran baseball teams both had trouble coming up with the big hit.

Host Scott City finally did and, coupled with Ryan Brock's stellar pitching, it paved the way for an exciting 2-1 win on a cold Wednesday afternoon.

"That was a tough team," Brock said. "It's a good win."

Oran, ranked second in the most recent Class 1 state poll after making consecutive final four appearances, fell to 3-2. The Rams improved to 4-1.

"A well-played baseball game," Scott City coach Lance Amick said. "What a pitching performance and some timely hitting."

Both teams scored in the second inning and the contest remained 1-1 until Scott City finally broke through in the bottom of the sixth.

Senior catcher Ryan Fortner led off with a single and advanced to second when the ball was misplayed in the outfield for an error that would loom large.

Brock singled with one out, moving Fortner to third.

Senior second baseman Levi Pettit then delivered the game's key hit, his blooper to short right field falling safety as Fortner scored the tie-breaking run. He might not have been able to come around from second, which is where he would have been had the error not moved him up a base.

Scott City pitcher Ryan Brock scattered six hits over seven innings, allowing one run, walking two and striking out six, in earning the victory. (ADAM VOGLER)

"Just thinking put the bat on the ball, maybe get an RBI there. That's what happened," Pettit said. "We got it done at the end."

Pettit said the game-winning hit was especially sweet because he is familiar with most of Oran's players.

"I used to live in Oran. We moved here seventh grade. I know them pretty well," he said.

The Rams weren't quite out of the woods yet as Oran, held hitless since the second inning, threatened in the seventh.

Junior Seth Ressel, the Eagles' leadoff batter, singled for his third hit of the day. Senior catcher Alex Heuring singled with one out, Ressel stopping at second.

But the rally died there against Brock. The senior ended things with a strikeout and a ground ball, senior shortstop Forrest Copeland making a nice sliding play behind second base and diving to touch the bag for the final out.

That was one of two defensive gems by the Rams. Junior center fielder Eric Urhahn made a diving catch in the fifth inning with a runner on second.

"The defense did great," Brock said. "We cut down on a lot of errors [from previous games]."

Brock finished with a six-hitter. He struck out six, walked two and hit a batter.

Brock said his curveball did the most damage in what he deemed the best pitching performance of his high school career.

"I do. ... they're a really good team," he said.

Said Amick of Brock: "He's so mentally tough. There's nobody I'd rather have in my foxhole."

Ressel was also impressive on the mound in defeat, allowing eight hits and one earned run in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out five, walked none and hit a batter.

Heuring recorded the final two outs in the sixth inning, keeping the score 2-1 after Scott City had runners on second and third with one out.

Scott City’s Forrest Copeland, left, and Levi Pettit converge on a ground ball from Oran’s Jacob Priggel in the seventh inning of the Rams’ 2-1 win over the Eagles Wednesday. Copeland made the force out at second to end the game. (ADAM VOGLER)

"Both teams pitched well," Oran coach Mitch Wood said. "We couldn't get the big hit. We haven't been very good offensively so far."

The Eagles had the better of the early chances as they stranded five runners over the first two innings.

Oran grabbed a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Sophomore third baseman Thomas Trankler singled with one out, went to second on Ressel's single and came home on an RBI single by senior shortstop Kody Moore.

Scott City tied it in its half of the second but could have had much more.

Fortner was hit by a pitch, junior Zach Carlyle singled and Brock singled to load the bases with nobody out. The Rams managed just one run, scoring when Pettit grounded into a double play.

The Rams also failed to score after a leadoff double by Urhahn in the third inning and after having runners on second and third with just one out in the fifth.

"We were lucky to be [down] 2-1, with some of the jams we got ourselves in," Wood said.

Brock had two of Scott City's eight hits.

Oran 010 000 0 -- 1 6 2

Scott City 010 001 x -- 2 8 3

WP -- Ryan Brock. LP -- Seth Ressel. 2B -- Travis Phillips (SC), Eric Urhahn (SC). Multiple hits -- Oran: Ressel 3-4. Scott City: Brock 2-3. Records -- Oran 3-2, Scott City 4-1.