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 The first game was a pitcher’s duel with Olympia’s Ethan Baker
throwing four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and a walk
while striking out nine.
Lincoln’s Tate Johnston nearly matched him, tossing three scoreless
without allowing a hit and striking out seven before surrendering
three runs in the fourth. Lincoln’s Jude Toft came on in relief to
get out of that inning and retire the side in the fifth.
Parker Graue led off the bottom of the fifth with a walk and moved
around to third on a double by Drew Hayes. Another walk loaded the
bases before Warren Tomczak brought in the first Heat run with a
sharp ground ball to the shortstop, scoring Graue.
After a fly ball to the pitcher, Lincoln got another run on some
heads up base running by Hayes when the attempt to double off the
runner at first was unsuccessful. A walk to Kyle Gellner set up the
game winner with Dylan Ferguson delivering the clutch base hit
scoring Tomczak and Gellner to end the game.
 Baker and JD Brammeier had base hits for Olympia in the loss, and
Graue had the only other hit for the Heat.
The second game offered plenty of excitement of its own. Olympia
jumped out on top with a run in the first and two more in the third
on some heads up base running of their own as Nic Olson flew out
deep to right field, with Austin Biehl tagging up to score from
third and Karson George scoring all the way from second.
Lincoln came back to score a run in the bottom of the third with
Aaron Roede and Ferguson leading off with a pair of singles and
Roede later scoring on a hit by Jude Toft.
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Olympia came back with another run in the fourth on singles by
Brammeier and Owen Alford, putting the visitors on top 4-1 before
the Heat rallied again in the bottom half of the frame.
Hayes started the action with a triple, scoring on a single from
Deegan Aeilts, who then scored on triple by Tomczak. Gellner brought
in Tomczak with a single to tie the game going into the last inning.
After surrendering a pair of hits to George and Olson, Hayes pitched
out of a bases-loaded jam in the top half of the fifth, giving the
Heat another chance for a walk-off win.
The Heat offense responded by loading the bases with nobody out and
the heart of the order coming up. After a strikeout, Olympia made
another nice play to cut down the winning run at the plate, leaving
the bases loaded and two out for Deegan Aeilts.
Aeilts responded again, working the count full before getting his
third hit of the night, bringing in Toft to win the game.
Ferguson and Aeilts kept the Heat in the game with two strong
innings each on the mound and Johnston collected the only other
Lincoln base hit in the second game.
[Eric Graue]
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