By JIM WALKER

Tribune Sports Editor

 

LATHAM — On a cool, blustery day it take awhile to get warmed up. Just ask the Green Bobcats.

After a slow start, Green heated up and beat the Western Indians 11-6 on Monday in a Southern Ohio Conference game.

“We started off a little slow, but we grinded it out until our bats came alive,” said Green coach Dan McDavid. “We got timely hits from Cody Bruce, Adam Riffitt and Steve Ratcliff.”

Bruce went 2-3 with a home run and three runs batted in. Riffiff was 1-4 with two RBI and Ratcliff 1-3 and an RBI. Colton Brammer was 2-4 with two RBI and Clay Applegate 2-4 as Green got 11 hits.

Caleb Johnson picked up the win with six innings of work. Brammer finished up.

Green (14-5, 9-2) took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning when Mike Avery walked, stole second base and Brammer and Bruce had RBI doubles.

Western scored four times in the bottom of the inning to take the lead.

Avery and Clay Applegate singled and Rob Applegate put down a safety squeeze bunt as Green got a run back in the third.

The Bobcats tied the game in the fourth when Ratcliff singled, stole second and scored on an error.

Green took the lead for good with four runs in the fifth.

Avery was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on Rob Applegate’s hit. He stole second and scored on Brammer’s hit. Bruce capped the rally with a two-run homer.

After Western got withn 8-6 in the sixth, Green pushed across a pair of insurance runs in the seventh.

Clay Applegate singled, Rob Applegate reached on an error and Bruce was walked to load the bases. Ratcliff walked to force in a run and Riffitt hit a two-run double.

Green hosts St. Joseph on Tuesday.

Green 201 140 3 = 11 11 4

Western 400 002 0 = 6 12 2

Caleb Johnson, Colton Brammer (7) and Matt Howard. Grooms, Russell (5) and Lambert. W-Johnson (K-5, BB-1, H-12, R-6). L-Grooms. 2B-Green: Colton Brammer, Cody Bruce, Adam Riffitt. HR-Green: Cody Bruce. Hitting-Green: Mike Avery 1-3, Clay Applegate 2-4, Rob Applegate 1-3 rbi, Colton Brammer 2-4 2-rbi, Cody Bruce 2-3 3-rbi, Steve Ratcliff 1-3 rbi, Adam Riffitt 1-4 2-rbi, Billy Ratliff 1-1; Western: Colton Ross 2-4, Robert Russell 2-4 2-rbi, Brandon Brewster 2-3 2-rbi, Garrett 1-4, Grooms 1-4, Henderson 2-3, Frazier 1-3 rbi.