Published: August 14, 2009 12:48 am      

AAABA: Early home runs power Toledo past Zanesville

The Toledo Monarchs used a pair of two-out rallies and a solid relief performance by Mike Moyer to beat the Zanesville Junior Pioneers 5-3 Thursday afternoon at Point Stadium.

“It’s not like we get tons of hits all the time. It seems like we just don’t give up even with two outs,” said Toledo manager Dale Gray, whose team was outhit 11-8 by the Junior Pioneers.

“That’s been a trademark of ours this year.”

The Junior Pioneers’ Eric Spitzer and Russell Seidell hit back-to-back doubles to give Zanesville a 1-0 advantage in the top of the first.

Zanesville right-hander Alex Cultice retired Toledo’s first two batters in the bottom of the inning, but No. 3 hitter Ben Magsig drove a ball over the brick wall in left center for a solo homer.

“It was a 3-1 count,” said Magsig, who plays at Eastern Michigan University.

“I was looking for a fastball. I got it, and luckily took it to the center field fence. “

Cody Grice followed with a solid double to left, and Nate Sarkissian roped a sinking drive to right field. Zanesville’s Jordan Buchanan made a lunging effort for the ball, but it bounced in front of him and into the corner.

Sarkissian never stopped on his way to a two-run, inside-the-park homer that made it 3-1.

“I was thinking three out of the box once I saw him dive,” said Sarkissian, who is the center fielder at Adrian College. “As I was rounding second, my coach wasn’t stopping me. I tried to turn it onto another gear. I got tired after I scored.”

Cultice retired 18 of the next 20 Toledo hitters.

His teammates used three straight singles by Mitch Kline, Wade Kaido and Josh Eckard to tie the score at 3-3 in the sixth.

“I tip my cap to their pitcher,” Magsig said of Cultice. “He threw a great game. They outhit us, but we came through with the victory. We got the job done.”

Once again, Toledo struck after Cultice sat down the first two hitters of the seventh. Chris Kerekes kept the inning alive with a single, and he scored on No. 9 hitter Derek Fairchild’s double. Mike Frigo singled in another run.

Zanesville had at least one hit in each of the first six innings against Toledo starter Eric Vaughn, but never could put together a big inning.

Reliever Moyer entered the game in the seventh and tossed three scoreless frames, holding Zanesville to one hit.

“The guy who really did it right was Mike Moyer,” Gray said. “I bet you he didn’t have 12 innings with me this summer.

“He’s been hurt with a bad shoulder. He’s just got healthy the last two or three weeks. The pressure was on him. In every tournament run somebody steps up. And he’s the one who stepped up.”

Today, Toledo (3-1) will play New Orleans (3-1). Zanesville finished at 2-2.