Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – Solon got strong enough pitching and played good enough defense to win a couple of games on Friday.

What the Spartans didn’t do enough of in their doubleheader with Marion at the Solon Nature and Recreation Area was hit.

Solon managed just three total hits while dropping a pair of 4-0 contests to Class 3A sixth-ranked Marion (23-6) in a WAMAC cross-divisional matchup.

“We played well enough to win but we didn’t score any runs,” We pitched well enough, we played really good defense, we made a lot of big defensive plays to keep us in the game we just couldn’t get that big hit to push a run across.”  

Marion scored single runs in four innings off Solon ace Luke Ira in a 4-0 win in the opener.

The Indians then used an eighth-inning grand slam by Owen Cartensen to break a scoreless tie on its way to a 4-0 win in the nightcap.

Solon dropped to 18-12 on the season and 16-8 in WAMAC play while Marion improved to 17-3 in conference games.

“This week we played some good baseball teams in the WAMAC and we’ve seen good pitching and we will get better for it,” McSweeney said. “Our goal ultimately is in the postseason, it’s not necessarily to win this week or beat Marion twice it’s the postseason and we will be better because of this game.”

Marion entered play Friday with the third best team ERA in Class 3A at 1.71.

The Indians improved on that number with the two shutouts on Friday, running their scoreless inning streak to 36 straight.

Luke Golla and Rick Atkins combined on a two hitter with seven strikeouts in the opener and Trevor Paulsen fanned four in an eight-inning, one-hit shutout in game two.

“Ultimately in baseball you have to score runs or you aren’t going to win,” McSweeney said. “We put up two goose eggs and hats off to their pitchers.”

Solon got their own gem from sophomore Ryan Geistkemper in the nightcap.

Geistkemper allowed one run on five hits in 7 2/3 innings in his first career start.

“I was a little nervous but I just came in and my main focus was to locate the ball,” Geistkemper said. “I was working the two-seamer out and that was working for me the whole time.”

Geistkemper worked out of minor jams in the fifth, sixth and seventh to keep the game scoreless.

The sophomore right-hander allowed a leadoff hit to Carstensen in the seventh but got Blair Brooks to ground out to third to end the inning, stranding Carstensen at third.

“He was getting some run on his fast ball and we were able to kind of push the envelope on the outer half,” McSweeney said. “When you can do that you miss the middle of barrels and when they did square it up it was mistakes but or the most part he was hitting spots obviously compete his butt off.”

Solon had a chance to win it in the seventh.

Payton Bandy reached on an error to start the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and went to third on a wild pitch.

However, Paulson got Adam Bock to fly out to right to end the threat.

That set the tone for Cartstensen who launched a grand slam to left field off Solon reliever Trevor Shuchmann with two out in the eighth.

Jackson Pipolo drew a walk to leadoff the Solon eighth but Paulson retired the next three hitters to complete the shutout.

“We couldn’t get the offense going,” Geistkemper said. “It’s frustrating but we know we can hit we just have to make that adjustment the next time.”

Game 1

Marion           010  210  0  –  4  10 1

Solon               000  000  0  –  0   2  2

W – Luke Golla                      L – Luke Ira

2B – MAR: Maverick Miller

Game 2

Marion           000  000  04  –  4  8  1

Solon               000  000  00  –  0  1  1

W – Trevor Paulson                L – Ryan Geistkemper

HR – MAR: Owen Carstensen