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SPORTS

King's catch preserves Gales' wild win against rivals

Dave Weidig
Reporter
  • King tripled to right-center and scored what proved to be the game-winner on a sacrifice fly
  • Leadoff man Trevor Monk had a pair of first-inning doubles%2C including a three-run shot

NEWARK – As Zach Dickson's liner towards left center tailed away from him, Lancaster center fielder Jerry King had a quick decision to make.

Let it fall and the game is tied, or dive for it and end things — one way or another. Newark had runners at first and third, and if it gets by him two runs likely score and the Wildcats win.

King dove, came up with the ball and the visiting Golden Gales came away with a wild 11-10 Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division win Monday at rainy Don Edwards Park.

"My first thought was that it was going land in the gap," King said. "It was tailing, but I knew I had it timed up."

Lancaster coach Corey Conn said the Gales trust King's instincts out there.

"He is in his fourth year in center, he's a senior leader and he's put in so much work in the off-season," Conn said. "He got a good jump on it and I had no doubt he was going to get to it."

After Newark (10-13, 3-10) had come all the way back from a 10-0 deficit to tie it 10-10, King also delivered at the plate. He tripled to right-center and scored what proved to be the game-winner on Harrison Gilmore's sacrifice fly.

"I knew a curveball was coming, because they had been throwing it to me all night," King said. "And I squared it up. The momentum had totally changed, and it was hard to get it back. Someone had to spark us."

Leadoff man Trevor Monk had a pair of first-inning doubles, including a three-run shot to left-center that gave Lancaster (14-7, 7-6) a 7-0 lead. Andrew Murray had an RBI double and Avery Baker followed with a two-run double as the Gales scored all the runs after Newark's first baseman dropped a throw, making them unearned.

Monk added an RBI single in the third and Noah Dryden a sacrifice fly as the lead ballooned to 10-0. But the Wildcats didn't quit against their longtime rivals, scratching out five runs in the third and five more in the fourth to suddenly tie it with the help of three Lancaster errors. However, winning reliever Ronnie Elswick came in to stop the bleeding in the fourth, and Monk got the final out of the game.

"When I made the pitching change, I told them, it's 0-0, not 10-10," Conn said. "We did a good job of hitting the re-set button."

"In the OCC, everyone is good and every game is tough," saied Monk, who would have gone 4-for-4 were it not for a diving catch in the fifth by Newark's center fielder. "It feels really good to beat our biggest rival on the road. We need to try and build on our wins and get on a roll for the tournament."

Starting pitcher Adam Madison had two singles for Lancaster, which turns right around and hosts Newark on Wednesday.

dweidig@newarkadvocate.com

740-328-8557

Twitter: @noz75