HAMMOND, Ind. – The Griffith Generals and the Southland Vikings played a scrappy ballgame with clutch hits on both sides, but the Generals had the final string of hits, winning 9-7. The Vikings came back from a 7-1 deficit to tie it in the bottom of the sixth inning, but the Generals were never behind once they pounced in the first inning.
After Nic Altobelli hit a leadoff triple for Griffith, Mark Ross drew a walk to bring Aaron Orzech to the plate. Orzech got ahold of a ball and hit one over the left field fence for the first road home run of the season for the Generals. “I knew I barreled it off the bat,” he said on his big hit.
A wild pitch helped the Generals take a 4-0 lead after half an inning. In the top of the fifth, Diego Lopez came through with a bases-clearing double t put Griffith up 7-1 after the top of the fifth. However, the Vikings struck back immediately, as a Lucas Pajeau grand slam in the bottom of the inning put the Vikings within one, and Michael Carrano drove in the tying run in the sixth inning.
Kaden Kumzi did the job in the bullpen for the Generals, as he held the line for three scoreless innings. The difference makers late in the game on the offensive side were once again Nic Altobelli and Aaron Orzech, as Altobelli hit his second triple of the day to drive in the go-ahead run, and Orzech drove in one more to make it 9-7 in the eighth. Kumzi finished it off for the win.
“It was definitely a scrappy one,” said coach Peter Romsek after the game. “It’s pretty deflating when you give up a six-run lead you built, but credit to the guys for throwing the next punch. Gutsy effort from Kaden out there to close it out for us.”
The Generals also hit more triples today than they’ve hit all season, as Max Waszkiewicz had one on top of Altobelli’s pair. The Waszkiewicz triple was almost an inside-the-park home run, but a good set of throws by the Vikings defense cut him down at home plate.
The Generals improve to a 7-16 overall record and lead the season series against the Vikings 3-2. Griffith faces the Elkhart County Miracle tomorrow at 6 p.m. Central Time, where they look to build on a 3-2 head-to-head record against the Nappanee-based club.