The Royal Oak Leprechauns split their doubleheader with the Kokomo Jackrabbits on Friday, dropping game one, 7-3, and dominating game two, 12-4.
“It goes back to the pitchers,” head coach Jonathan Vance said after the second game. “In the first game, we had double-digit free passes again. A lot of guys on base, a lot of traffic.”
In the first game, Royal Oak pitchers issued 13 walks. The Jackrabbits only received one in the second game.
“Any time you’ve got double digit free passes, you’re not going to win that game,” Vance said.
Additionally, the Leprechauns scored exactly three runs for the third time in the season’s initial five games in the earlier game. The 12 runs in the sixth game of the season marked the third time in the previous four that Royal Oak reached double-digits.
As of Friday night, the streaky Leprechaun offense sports a best collective batting average of .309. As of 10:30 p.m. on Friday night, that is the best mark in the Northwoods League.
Despite this, the team sits at just 2-4 at the conclusion of their initial homestand. Part of that is due to a pitching staff that has struggled initially.
Royal Oak’s collective ERA is 6.47, which is fourth-to-last in the league. Room for optimism lies in good initial outings for Gabe Jones and Jake Jekielek.
Jones started the game, throwing three scoreless innings with just two hits allowed and striking out two.
“Gabe Jones was really, really good,” Vance said. “He redshirted this year [at Ball State], so he didn’t get any innings, so he’s trying to get back himself. He’s going to be really good for us.”
Jekielek finished it. He entered with a 12-3 lead, throwing the final three frames and allowing just one unearned run. He allowed two hits and struck out six of the 13 batters he faced.
“I’ve said this already, but Jake Jekielek is the best right-handed reliever in the country,” Vance said of the Northwood product. “It was evident tonight.”
Offensively in game two, Royal Oak was fueled by a big day for Eastern Michigan’s Nate Ball. He reached base on all five of his plate appearances, hitting three singles, walking twice, alongside three RBIs.
The first was after he was the fourth straight Leprechaun to be walked to begin the bottom of the first. That marked the first time this year Royal Oak scored first in a game this year.
Wayne State’s Tony Hatzigeorgiou also had a three-RBI performance in game two. He got his on a sacrifice fly, an RBI groundout, and an RBI single.
Hatzigeorgiou is now tied with Evan Bottone for the most RBIs (8) with Royal Oak this season. Bottone had two of his own in the second game, both coming on a single in the sixth. That capped a five-run frame and gave Royal Oak a 12-3 lead at the time.
The team now gets a day off on Saturday while they travel to play two more games against the Jackrabbits in Kokomo. A road trip after six home games in five days marks a great opportunity for a team to come together.
“I think any time you’re traveling with guys, you’ve got long bus rides, you’ve got nothing to do but get to know each other,” Vance said. “[Going on the road] is definitely going to help us.”
Game times at Kokomo are set for 5:05 p.m. on Sunday and 7:05 p.m. Monday. The Leprechauns’ next time at home will be a quick, one-game stop against the Battle Creek Battle Jacks on June 6 at 6:35 p.m.
