Baseball

The high-powered offenses of the Griffith Generals and the Northwest Indiana Oilmen met Thursday night in a high-scoring, extra-inning affair that saw the Generals on top 17-13.

Isaiah Thompson led the Generals at the plate with four hits in six total at-bats. Thompson had three singles and a double. 

Griffith got on the board first in the top of the first inning with a Tripp Davis single and Thompson scored while tagging up from third. 

The Generals led 9-2 after the fourth inning, however, the Oilmen would get their bats into motion in the sixth. The Oilmen added five runs in the sixth inning, capped by a pair of Ryan Henschel and AJ Taylor doubles.

The Generals added three more runs in the eighth inning, but the Oilmen could not be denied. The Oilmen tied the game in the eighth inning thanks to a hit-by-pitch and a pair of Emmanuel Scott and Quinn Flanagan singles. 

The Generals had a chance to add runs in the top of the ninth inning when Tripp Davis sent a deep ball into centerfield with the bases loaded, but Oilmen centerfielder Henschel made a stellar superman-diving play to get the third out of the inning. 

Griffith inserted Ayden Elixson into the game on the mound for the ninth, where he was able to shut down the Oilmen after seeing just four batters.

The Generals jumped back into the lead in the 10th as Angel Ramirez and Graham Gonzalez singled, Horacio Cabrales doubled and Yashion Boswell walked. 

Elixson stayed on the mound for the bottom of the 10th inning and retired the Oilmen after allowing one run, giving the Generals the 17-13 win. 

Elixson earned the win as the last man on the mound for the Generals, he gave up one hit over two innings. 

Quinn Flanagan took the loss for the Oilmen, pitching the game's final two innings. Flanagan surrendered four runs on five hits while striking out one batter. 

Draza Dupor started on the mound for the Generals, tossing five and one-third innings allowing three runs on five hits with six strikeouts. 

The Generals piled up 18 hits in the game with Ramirez and Thompson each collecting four hits. Gonzalez, Cabrales, Cole Hockman and Davis each collected multiple hits. The Generals drew seven walks throughout the 10-inning game.

Griffith improves to 5-8 in 2024 and the Generals start another win streak with two in a row. 

The Generals and the Oilmen face off again in Whiting on Friday night with a scheduled first pitch of 7:10 p.m.

Written by: Jon Lieber