Re-print with permission from Press Publications

Bowling Green State University baseball player Patrick Martin (Clay) was a last minute addition to the Ohio Monarchs Gold summer collegiate team, but he is coming up big.

“He’s helped us in getting key base hits in RBI situations,” said general manager Steve Timofeev.

Through nine games played, Martin has a .320 average, a .560 slugging percentage, and a .433 OBP. In 30 plate appearances, he has eight hits, six runs, four RBIs, and five walks. Of those eight hits, he has three singles, four doubles, and one triple – good for 14 total bases.

In addition, he has two stolen bases in two attempts. Manager Ed Mouch said Martin has played in right or center field, and not on the mound, per request of his coach at BGSU.

On the mound for BGSU this past season, Martin went 2-1 in 14 appearances (2 starts) with a 3.60 ERA. He struck out 14 in 25 innings pitched. He did not have any hitting stats.

Despite Martin being a late addition, Timofeev basically said it was a no brainer decision to bring Martin in.

“I’ve been with Pat since Pee Wee,” he said. “He’s a great kid from a great baseball family. He plays the game hard.”

Mouch echoed those words in praising Martin.

Monarchs Gold beat the Trojans on Tuesday night in a nail biter that was just one strike away from extra innings. It took a walk-off single from Corey Lehman to finally seal the deal. Frustrated with his 0-3 performance so far in the game, Lehman stepped up to the plate with the winning run on third and two outs. Two pitches later Ricky Lizcano was coming home and Lehman had belted a walk-off single into left for a 4-3 win.

The Monarchs struck first in this game, in the bottom of the fourth. Adam Yunker started the inning with a single, and promptly stole second. Brett Howard followed with an RBI double that directly hit third base and took a favorable bounce into left field. After Phil Brua walked, and Brian Bilius was hit by a pitch, Lizcano came up with the bases loaded and brought home Howard with an RBI single of his own. With the bases still loaded, the Monarchs were unable however to tack on a few extras leaving the damage done at 2-0.

Colin Meinzer took a no-hitter into the top of the seventh against the Orioles on Sunday for Monarchs Gold.

Meinzer cruised through six innings scattering only two walks and allowing his defense to make plays behind him. Corey Lehman and Brett Howard were involved in many of those defense plays including three consecutive hard-hit grounders in the fourth that hit the lip and forced the defenders to jump in order to reach them. Meinzer seemed to be putting the finishing touches on his no-no with two outs and a man on first, though the next batter laced a fly ball to left center. Despite the outfield’s diving efforts the ball dropped out of reach. The next O’s batter brought a runner in with a single before Meinzer closed the door. He finished with CG, 2H performance allowing the one run, while striking out five.