Day 1 is done

It was an exciting day of action at the GLSCL Tournament today. Southern Ohio took down the Licking County Settlers, and the other two games were decided by one run. Cincinnati downed Grand Lake 3-2 at 3:30 p.m., and Lima, with three runs in the 9th, stunned the host Scouts 4-3. Now, with the pod set-up the way that it is, Southern Ohio's season is (almost) on the line tomorrow. If the Copperheads defeat the Locos, then the Snakes will go to the title game for the first time in team history. If Lima wins, then the Copperheads would need a lot of help.

Southern Ohio would need Licking County to win its game tomorrow against Cincinnati, and then take down Lima Friday. The Copperheads would then need to beat Grand Lake Friday. If all that were to happen, then there still is no guarantee that the Copperheads would be in the title game. In fact, I have no idea what would happen if this scenario would play out (because all three teams would be 2-1 and 1-1 within the pod). A situation like this would require something strange (run differential anybody?), but I don't know exactly what it would be.

A few other tidbits from Xenia:

• If there is a "meaningless" game Friday, it will still be played. For instance, if Southern Ohio wins and Grand Lake loses tomorrow, they will still play Friday at 1:00 p.m. even though the Copperheads would already be in the title game and Grand Lake would already be eliminated. When discussing this at the coaches meeting Tuesday to figure out the tournament after the rain, the majority of the coaches wanted to play it no matter what.
• It's always tough to predict baseball games (see today's Copperheads win against a team that swept them in the regular season), but this Lima-Southern Ohio match-up is even tougher because you can't look at the two teams' four regular season battles. The first two, during a twin bill at Simmons Field, came in the season's first week, and it was a split. The second doubleheader came last Sunday, and it meant nothing in the standings.
  
• Speaking of tomorrow, Andy Carter will toe the rubber for the Green and Gold. Carter faced Lima Sunday for two innings and walked three but did not allow a run.
• Low seeds in the tournament are no strangers to the title game. Last year, #4 Columbus went to the title game. In 2007, Grand Lake won the whole thing as a #5 seed. In 2006, Grand Lake went to the championship game as the #6 seed. So, Southern Ohio's run isn't out of the ordinary.
• David Starn will not be with the team, as he has a wedding to attend. However, he certainly made his mark with his outing today.
  
• The quote man, pitching coach Chris Moore, on what his plans were today after the game: "The best part about tournaments is when you win, you go back and everyone thinks you're awesome."

Tune in tomorrow at 6:45 p.m. on Power 105 and online at copperheadbaseball.com. If you are listening online, again your best bet is to click on the AWAY link. Don't miss the biggest game in the history of the franchise.

- Brian