The Gilmour Academy varsity baseball team had a successful finish to the opening week of May, as the Lancers were victorious in a high-profile matchup to register their third straight win.
Gilmour played host to the Prep Baseball Report High School Spring Classic this past Saturday. Prep Baseball Report puts on at least one showcase-style event each weekend throughout Ohio to feature some of the top programs in the state.
The Lancers hosted South Range High School as part of the event. In a classic pitcher's duel, it was Gilmour, and ace Ben DeMell '21, that came away with a 4-2 victory.
DeMell's performance lived up to the moment as he tossed the first no-hitter of his career. He yielded a lone walk while throwing all seven frames and struck out nine batters as both of the runs he allowed were unearned. He threw 77 of 107 pitches for strikes in earning his fourth win of the season.
After little in the way of offense for either team over the opening three innings, South Range would get on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning. A walk and a pair of GA miscues gifted the Raiders a run. However, DeMell did his best to limit the damage by recording back-to-back looking strikeouts to end the inning.
With the Lancers still trailing by one in the fifth, Gilmour would get all the runs it would need as it took advantage of some wildness by the South Range pitching staff.
Vinny Bandwen '21, Paddy Murphy '22 and Kyle Laws '22 all took walks in the inning while Will Kay '23 and Mick Hopkins '22 both delivered key run-scoring singles.
South Range would bring the tying run to the plate in the top of the seventh, but DeMell and the Lancers were able to hold on. With two away, Murphy made a diving stop to his right at first base and, from the seat of his pants, flipped to a covering DeMell to finish off the no-hitter, and the victory.
Gilmour played a trio of games earlier in the week, dropping a 7-0 decision to St. Ignatius High School before bouncing back with a pair of run-rule victories.
DeMell also took to the hill against the Wildcats and allowed three earned runs in six innings of work while striking out nine. He also went 2-for-3 at the plate in the setback.
The following day the Lancers raced past Nordonia High School 16-1.
Gilmour used four walks, a hit batter and six hits, including a home run by DeMell, to plate 12 runs in the second inning.
Tommy McCrone '23 went 3-for-4 with three runs scored out of the leadoff spot while Laws and Murphy both had multiple hits and multiple RBI. Bandwen and Charlie Shepherd '21 each hit a double and scored two runs against the Knights.
Murphy earned the complete-game win by allowing just three hits and a lone unearned run.
As it turned out, the 16 runs that Gilmour put up against Nordonia were not even its high for the week. The Lancers came right back to knock off West Geauga High School 19-2 the following afternoon.
An eight-run first inning followed by a five-run second allowed the hosts to put the game on ice early.
Kay and Will Lazzaro '23 finished with nearly identical offensive stats lines. Both players doubled, walked twice, drove in three runs and scored twice. They were two of the five Lancers to earn multiple free passes in the game as DeMell finished with a game-high three walks.
Lazzaro earned the complete-game win against the Wolverines, allowing only two hits while striking out seven in five innings of work.
The Lancers will have one more week of the regular season to fine-tune their play before opening the postseason in the third week of May.
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