By Nicholas Huenefeld

Special to the Sentinel-Tribune

ROSSFORD — The Rossford baseball team exploded for eight runs in the first inning en route to an 11-1 win in five innings over Toledo Emmanuel Christian on Tuesday at Myron “Brick” Long Field.

The Bulldogs sent 12 batters to the plate in the opening inning. Logan Walder scored twice with a pair of stolen bases in the frame, and Jackson Yerkes delivered a two-run single out of the five-hole. Owen Swonger and Landen Scherer also notched back-to-back RBI hits from the bottom third of the order.

“I’m happy we played as a team,” Rossford coach Marc Diels said. “For the most part, we moved guys over. We got guys in. I’m just happy with the team’s overall performance, their effort and the way they’re picking each other up.”

In the second, Swonger tacked on an RBI single with two outs. Walder was stranded on third to end the third while a 5-3 double play with the bases loaded ended another threat in the fourth for the Bulldogs.

Rossford then finished off the victory in walk-off fashion with a pair of runs in the fifth. Quinton Borden led off with a double to deep left center, and Walder followed with an RBI single. After a groundout, Landen Reiter’s grounder to second scored Walder to set off the celebration.

Reiter picked up the win on the mound for the Bulldogs, allowing just one unearned run in the first inning while striking out five over three innings. Borden closed things out over the final two innings, striking out four and stranding a pair of runners in scoring position to end the top half of the fifth.

“I thought we played well in spurts,” Diels said. “Obviously the bats came alive there at the beginning, and it’s nice to put eight on the board, but we left way too many runners on base in the middle innings. Overall, though, Landen threw well on the mound and Quinton came in and threw well in relief.”

Swonger led Rossford offensively, finishing 3-for-3 with a pair of RBI. Yerkes (2-for-3) and Reiter (1-for-4) also knocked multiple runs in while Walder finished 2-for-3 with three runs, two stolen bases and an RBI.

The game was played in heavy winds with storm clouds approaching just after the game ended.

“We just told the guys, whether we’re on defense, you can’t give up on it,” Diels said. “Everybody’s got to go for the ball. And when you’re on offense, you can’t assume a pop up is an out. That’s playing out here on our field. We’re always going to deal with the wind.”

Rossford will be back in action against Toledo Start at Bowman Park’s Arbinger Field on Thursday