2024 Game Recaps
Black Squirrels Take 2 from the Pirates
The Portage South Black Squirrels would face the Cleveland Pirates at Roosevelt Park for a
doubleheader on Sunday. Portage South was able to get on the board first with 3 runs in the third inning. Lucius
Ivory would walk to leadoff the inning, followed by Chad Harper being hit by a pitch. Charlie
Drumm would move both runners with a sacrifice bunt. Ivory would score on a wild pitch just before Matt
Dile walked, with Harper advancing to third. Justin Nelson drove in Harper with a RBI groundout
and Jesse Michel would single to left to score Dile to make it 3-0. The Pirates came back in the fourth
with 2 runs, cutting the lead to 3-2. PS would get another run in the top of the fifth when Harper reached after being
hit by a pitch, stealing second and eventually scoring on a wild pitch. The Black Squirrels broke the game open in the
sixth with a 6-run frame. Portage South got 3 runs on wild pitches, then Nelson drew a bases loaded walk and Ryan
Schromm drove in 2 runs with a single up the middle. PS put the game away with 4 more runs in the seventh to
make it 14-2. Zach Lewis would single to right, followed by Harper walking and Lyndon Rainey
being hit by a pitch to load the bases. Dile scored Lewis on a groundout and then Nelson followed with a 3-run homerun
to left field. Kevin Haley when the distance on the mound for his second victory of the season, striking
out five. Nelson led the way at the plate, going 2-4 with a HR and 5 RBI. Schromm also had 2 hits in his Black
Squirrel debut.
In game two, Portage South picked up where they left off
in game one with 2 runs in the first. Charlie Drumm walked and advanced to second on a pickoff throw
that got away from the first baseman. Jesse Michel would single home Drumm. Justin Nelson
would follow with a single to right that was bobbled by the rightfielder and allowed Michel to score. PS added 3 more
runs in the fifth inning. Lucius Ivory walked to start the inning and Chad Harper
followed with a single to right. After both players steal a base, Michel would walk to load the bases. Nelson
walked to score Ivory, then Matt Dile would earn a bases loaded walk to score Harper. Logan
Poole singled to left scoring Zach Lewis, who was running for Michel, and make the score 5-0.
The Black Squirrels added an insurance run in the sixth. Harper and Kevin Haley, each singled and Lewis
would double to left center, scoring Harper. The Pirates would get a run in the seventh, but Portage South would win
6-1. Jonathan Kountis went 5 innings on the mound for the win, striking out eight. Eric
Schaffer threw 2 innings in relief. Harper and Poole each had 2 hits to lead the Black Squirrel offense.
Portage South Opens 2025 Splitting DH
The Portage South Black Squirrels opened the 2025 season with a doubleheader against the Akron
Orioles at Roosevelt Park. In game one, the Orioles scored first with a run in the top of the first. Portage South
came back with 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning to take a 3-1 lead. Charlie Drumm singled and
advanced to second on a single by Jesse Michel. Justin Nelson doubled to deep left
center to score Drumm and move Michel to third. Mike Haney drove Michel home with a RBI groundout and
Nelson was able to score on a balk. PS got another run in the second to make it 4-1. Josh Simmons
walked to start the inning and moved to second on a fielder's choice by Mikey Haney III. Lucius
Ivory reached on a fielder's choice that moved Simmons to third. Ivory would steal second and Drumm would follow
with a single to score Simmons. Akron would get a run in the third to cut the lead to 4-2, but the Black Squirrels added
3 more runs in the bottom to push lead out to 7-2. Nelson walked to lead off the inning and Haney followed with a double.
Jason Preising would reach on an error that scored Nelson. Simmons walked to load the baases, then
Haney would score on a wild pitch. After a double play, advancing Preising to third, he would score on another wild
pitch for the third run of the inning. Portage South added to the lead with another 3 run inning in the fifth to take
a commanding 10-2 lead. Haney III singled to left field and Lyndon Rainey walked to make it first and
second. Haney III stole third and Rainey would then advance to second before Haney III scored on another wild pitch.
Rainey came around to score on a wild pitch before Drumm walked. Michel followed with a single that moved Drumm to third.
Nelson singled home Drumm. PS would score another run in the sixth on a single by Drumm scoring Haney III and make the
final score 11-2. Kevin Haley went the distance for the victory on the mound, striking out seven.
Drumm and Michel had 3 hits each to lead the offense. Nelson added 2 hits and 2 RBI.
Game 2 had the Black Squirrels grab 3 runs in the top of the first inning. Portage South took advantage
of a couple of fielding errors to score Charlie Drumm, Jesse Michel and Justin Nelson.
The Orioles came back with a run in the bottom half, cutting the lead to 3-1. PS added another run in the third inning
to make it 4-1. Mikey Haney III would score Jason Preising on a bases loaded walk.
Akron cut the lead with a run in the third to 4-2, the grab the lead in the fourth with a 4-run inning. The Black Squirrels
threatened in the fifth and sixth, but could not get another run across and lost to split the doubleheader. Jonathan
Kountis threw 2.2 innings and struck out 8 batters in relief.
