By Jim Walker

jim.walker@irontontribune.com

FRANKLIN FURNACE — Unfortunately, the St. Joseph Flyers caught the Green Bobcats “Knapping.”

Jon Knapp pitched 6.2 innings of one-hit baseball as the Bobcats beat the Flyers 6-2 on Monday in a key Southern Ohio Conference game.

Knapp struck out 11, walked 5, allowed 2 earned runs and the only hit was a hard-hit fourth inning single by Evan Balestra who also had the Flyers’ other hit.

Green is now 8-3 and leads the SOC 1 with a 5-0 record. The Flyers fall to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the SOC.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the third inning when Green pushed across 3 runs.

Mason Neal reached on an error to start the inning and Landon Kimbler got a 2-out single. Jon Knapp, Blake Smith and Quincy Merrill all followed with consecutive RBI singles.

The Bobcats scored single runs in each of the next 3 innings.

In the fourth, Braxton Conschafsky left off with a walk, moved up on a ground out and scored on 2 wild pitches.

Merrill led off the fifth with a hit, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on another wild pitch.

The Bobcats got a run in the sixth when Nathaniel Brannigan got a one-out single and scored when Kimbler followed with an RBI double.

The Flyers mounted a rally in the seventh that eventually chased Knapp.

Wesley Neal was hit by a pitch leading off and Landon Rowe and Mason Weber both walked to load the bases.

Kimbler came on in relief and was greeted by Balestra with a line drive double to score Neal and Rowe, but Kimbler struck out the next batter to end the game.

Green had 8 hits with Merrill 2-3, Brannigan and Kimbler each going 2-4, and Knapp was 1-2.

Carson Willis, Jake Stephens and Drew Brown combined for 6 strikeouts and 4 walks. Five of the runs were earned.

St. Joseph 000 000 2 = 2 2 1

Green       003 111 x = 6 8 3

Carson Willis, Jake Stephens (3), Drew Brown (5) and Jake Stephens, Evan Balestra (3), Jake Stephens (5). Jon Knapp, Landon Kimbler (7) and Gabe Blevins. W-Knapp (IP-6.2, H-1, R-2, ER-2, K-11, BB-5, HBP-1). Kimbler (IP-0.1, H-1, R-0, K-1, BB-0). L-Willis (IP-2.1, H-2, R-3, ER-2, K-1, BB-2). Stephens (IP-1.2, H-3, R-1, ER-1, K-1, BB-2, WP-2). Brown (IP-2.0, H-3, R-2, ER-2, K-4, BB-0, WP-3). Hitting-St. Joseph: Evan Balestra 2-4 2B 2-RBI; Green: Nathaniel Brannigan 2-4, Landon Kimber 2-4 2B RBI, Jon Knapp 1-2 RBI, Blake Smith 1-4 RBI, Quincy Merrill 2-3 RBI.