NEW CARLISLE - The New Carlisle Newts (12-15) were no match for the defending World Series Champion Granger Panthers (22-5) on Sunday afternoon, getting swept, 3-9, 4-5 (F/7), 3-7.
The holiday weekend left the Newts with only four players available, so New Carlisle had to make a last-minute transaction to fill out the lineup card. Migleyville resident Ryan Curless was signed to the active roster and made his ORWBL debut in center field for the Newts.
New Carlisle hung around for a while in the series opener. However, Alex Zarazee's three home runs and five RBI were enough run support for Panthers pitcher Griffin Smith. Garrett Curless led the way for New Carlisle, going 3 for 5 with two home runs.
The Newts' best shot at stealing one came in game two. Garrett Curless, Matt Soos, and Koby Keck smacked back-to-back-to-back home runs in the second inning to give New Carlisle their biggest lead of the afternoon at 3-0.
Granger answered with homers by Austin Williams and Daivyn Davis, but Soos kept them off the board for the next two innings to hold the lead.
Garrett Curless added insurance in the fourth with a homer to make it 4-2. The lead stuck until the bottom of the fifth when Smith found some opposite field power, flipping a liner over the right field fence for a two-run, game-tying dinger.
Both teams went quietly in the sixth, setting up yet another extra-inning game for New Carlisle. After Smith doubled to left with one out, Zarazee grounded a single to right field to bring home the winning run.
Soos gave another valiant effort on the mound in the finale. The Newts actually held an early 3-2 advantage via a Ryan Curless home run.
The defense unraveled in the third inning though. Soos induced a two-out ground ball from Smith that could have ended the frame with no damage. However, the ball scooted all the way to the center field fence, scoring Davis. The flood gates opened as Zarazee, Williams, and Seth Campbell hit consecutive home runs to put it out of reach at 7-3.
New Carlisle will wrap up the regular season on Friday night under the lights at Migley Field against the Kingsbury Knights. First pitch for the series is slated for 8:15pm ET.
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