By CHUCK MARTINEZ

martinez@crescent-news.com

For the second time in as many days, the Tinora High School baseball team ran into a pitcher at the top of his game.

On Tuesday it was Fairview right-hander Ryan Radcliff shutting the Rams down as the Apaches claimed a 5-1 Green Meadows Conference road victory that keeps them in the league's driver's seat with a flawless 3-0 mark.

"Radcliff has played for them for four years," pointed out Tinora mentor Brent Renollet. "He's awfully good. He pitched really well. Our plan coming in was to not let him beat us."

Early on it looked as though that was the perfect plan.

Tinora sophomore hurler Ethan McKenney matched Radcliff pitch for pitch and in the fourth inning teammate Layne Schroeder gave McKenney the lead.

After being one of Radcliff's five strikeout victims through three innings, Schroeder didn't let Radcliff get comfortable on the mound in the fourth. Schroeder parked Radcliff's first offering over the scoreboard in left field sending the Tinora bench into a frenzy as the green-and-white jumped out to a 1-0 lead.

"We knew coming in it was going to be like Ayersville (a nine-inning game last week), a really good game," explained Fairview skipper Andy Singer. "Layne got all of that ball. I knew right away it was gone and it put us down early.

"But I told our guys we're not out of it one bit," added Singer. "One run wins a ballgame, but we were going to put runs up on the board."

One inning later Singer's soothsaying came to be as Radcliff's bat helped start the Rams' downward spiral.

With one out, Ben Wonderly and Nathan Yoder got the Apaches' half of the fifth inning rolling by drawing back-to-back walks to put runners on first and second. That changed quickly, however, as Wonderly and Yoder perfectly executed a double steal to give the Apaches runners in scoring position.

Chase Rhonehouse was next in the batter's box and picked up a hustle RBI. Rhonehouse hit a hot shot to Taylor Wiemken, who was playing in on the grass at third in hopes of making a play at the plate. Wiemken showed cat-like reflexes in knocking down the Rhonehouse hit, but couldn't corral it in time to get the lead runner. Wiemken's quick thinking allowed him to get off a throw to first, but Rhonehouse beat the throw as the Apaches tied it up.

Radcliff was up next and drove the ball to the fence in left field. Two runs scored on the double and Radliff was soon to follow his teammates across the plate as Ross Joost hit the first of his two doubles to widen the gap.

"Ethan (McKenney) was throwing really well tonight," said Radcliff, who also scored the Apaches' fifth run in the seventh inning. "I'm just thankful that my defense played well and we were able to pick up the win. We got through the order one time and we all got to see him (McKenney). We were getting the bat on the ball earlier (in the game), but then (in the fifth) we were really making solid contact."

While Radcliff's stick was a key to the Apaches' offense heating up in the fifth, his right arm kept the Rams fenced in for seven innings.

In the first and fifth innings, the Rams had two runners reach base with no outs, but in each frame Radcliff struck out the side to smother any thoughts of a big inning.

"You don't win by doing that," pointed out Renollet. "We start out with two guys on base then strikeout, strikeout, strikeout. They do that and Radcliff gets a hit. That's the difference, but that's baseball."

From Radcliff's perspective, those jams only strengthened his resolve.

"I guess I was just bearing down," recalled Radcliff, who is bound for Central Michigan thanks to the strength of his right arm on the football field. "It's funny sometimes when guys get on how your focus goes up and luckily for us it worked out."

In all, Radcliff ended the night by punching out 16 Rams, including five straight in the first and second innings and eight of nine in the fifth and sixth innings.

"Ryan has stepped in and wanted to be the (work) horse for us and lead us," said Singer. "He wanted to take those reigns and he has. He fell behind some batters (tonight), but he didn't give up and battled back. That's the sign of a great pitcher."

Now in control of the GMC with a 3-0 mark while standing 9-1 overall, Fairview returns to league play on Thursday with Holgate.

"Every day when we get the opportunity to play together as a team, that's what this is all about," ended Singer. "But every time we take to the field we have to take advantage of it, work hard and play our best."

Linescore

Fairview 000 040 1 - 5 9 1

Tinora 000 100 0 - 1 4 3

Records: Fairview 9-1 (3-0 GMC), Tinora 6-2 (2-1 GMC).

Winning pitcher: Ryan Radcliff (7 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 16 strikeouts, 4 walks).

Losing pitcher: Ethan McKenney (4 1/3 inning 4 runs, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts, 3 walks). Other: Zach Beilharz.

Leading hitters: (Fairview, 9 hits) - Nathan Yoder 2 singles; Ryan Radcliff double, single; Ross Joost 2 doubles. (Tinora, 4 hits) - Layne Schroeder home run; Brad Cary double.