JOHNSTOWN —
Garrett Gordon and Matt Priebe combined to go 6 for 10 with three home runs and nine RBI to lead the Livonia Rams over the Columbus Hawks in an elimination game at Roxbury Park on Thursday morning. The Rams collected 19 hits as they cruised to a 16-5 victory.
“We’re a good hitting team,” said Livonia manager Rick Berryman. “We hit like I thought we could hit. Very disciplined group of young men, hitting-wise. I was very impressed by that.”
Columbus took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first on a Jake Dickerson RBI single up the middle. Livonia answered with three runs in the top of the third on Gordon’s three-run home run to left-center field to give the Rams a 3-1 lead. Columbus came back with a Dickerson run-scoring double to left-center field in the bottom half of the third. The Hawks tacked on two runs in the fourth, scoring on an error and on a Sean Vollenweider RBI double to deep left field.
Livonia took control of the game by scoring six runs in the fifth and sixth innings. In the fifth, Priebe roped a two-run single to center field to tie the game at 5. The Rams took the lead for good in the sixth inning when leadoff hitter Trent Drumheller hit a run-scoring double to left-center field and later scored on a wild pitch.
After Gordon’s second double of the game, Priebe followed with a towering two-run home run to left-center field to give the Rams a 9-5 lead.
“They left a lot of balls over the plate. I took advantage of that, put a good swing on it, and it went,” said Priebe.
Livonia was able to add to its lead thanks to five solid innings from right-hander Jake Paulson. He gave up only two hits and one unearned run while striking out five on a very-efficient 60 pitches to earn the win.
“He was spectacular,” Berryman said. “We had him sitting there knowing how good he was.
“Once we got that lead, we know he’s a shutdown type of pitcher. He’s that good.”
The Rams’ bats were not done. They proceeded to score seven runs the last two innings to put the game out of reach.
Priebe hit another two-run homer to left field and Logan Curtis hit a three-run shot to left-center field to go up 14-5. Livonia added two runs in the ninth on three singles and two errors to set the final.
“They have a very good hitting team,” Columbus manager Tony Perz said after his team finished 2-2 in the tournament. “We did run out of pitching today. I was very proud of what we did this year, especially with just 12 guys. They just kept plugging away, and they played hard the whole time.”
Dickerson led Columbus’ offense, going 2 for 4 with a double and two RBI.
Livonia got back on track after losing to Cleveland Wednesday, having beaten perennial powers New Orleans and Baltimore on back-to-back days. The Rams will now face New Brunswick in an elimination game today.
Local Sports
Priebe, Gordon lead Livonia victory over Columbus
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