SOUTH BEND - The New Carlisle Newts (6-3) returned to Parts Unknown on Sunday, winning two of three against the Glen Lee Skeeters, 21-7, 4-5, 9-3.
The series was scheduled to be the home opener for Glen Lee (1-8), who are playing their inaugural ORWBL season this year. However, unforeseen complications with their new ballpark forced the games to be moved to a different location, setting up the opportunity to return to the park which hosted Cult West's ORWBL games from 2012 through 2015.
Matt and Scott Soos felt right at home in the series opener, each going five for seven at the plate. Matt blasted four home runs, driving in nine. While Scott legged out three singles and a double and belted one over the high fence.
Koby Keck also went five for seven, hitting a solo shot in the third inning. Garrett Curless, Garrett Ruiz, and Aidan Cotter each hit two bombs.
Cotter got the win on the mound in his season debut. The righthander struck out two and, most notably, pitched a flawless sixth inning to cap a complete game effort.
In the second game, Cotter found trouble in the first inning, allowing all five Glen Lee runs in the opening frame. Kade Stone led off with a solo home run and would later hit a three-run bomb to give the Skeeters the early 5-0 advantage.
Despite the rocky start, Cotter went the distance again, tossing four scoreless innings the rest of the way. He struck out three batters and allowed just one hit after the first.
With the exception of Sean Touhey, who continued his hot start to 2021, the Newts offense went into hibernation. New Carlisle was shut out through four before Touhey ripped a line drive over the center field fence in the fifth inning.
In the sixth, the Newts fought back with Cotter and Ruiz stringing together singles ahead of Touhey. The New Carlisle catcher smacked a three-run dinger to cut the deficit to just one at 5-4. Unfortunately for the Newts, two fly outs followed to end the game.
In the rubber match, Glen Lee again jumped out to an early lead. Nolan Crail homered in the first, and Stone went yard in the second to put the Skeeters up, 2-0.
Ruiz tied it up the next inning with a two-run opposite field blast with Zarek Finley aboard.
The Newts took the lead in the fourth with another three-run homer by Touhey, which opened the flood gates. Curless, Finley, and Ruiz followed in order to make it four consecutive home runs and put the game out of reach.
Scott Soos entered the game late and tacked on another bomb in the sixth. Cotter wrapped up a complete series effort with another perfect sixth inning, improving his record to 2-1 over 17 innings of work.
New Carlisle finally heads home to open up the 15th season of league play at Migley Field next Sunday. The Newts will take on first-place Granger (8-1) at 1:20 pm ET.