Baseball Recap: Piqua Takes a Loss

Piqua extended their losing streak to five on Monday, dropping their season record down to 10-11 in the process. They came up short against Shawnee, falling 14-7. Piqua was not able to make up for their defeat to Shawnee from their previous meeting back in May of 2021.

Hunter Steinke

Runs

05/12/25 @ Shawnee	3
04/22/25 vs Anna	3
04/15/25 vs Miamisburg	2
05/07/25 @ Troy	1
04/30/25 @ Fairborn	1
+ 8 more games

Hunter Steinke and Lukah Branam stepped up to the plate in a big way. Steinke got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs and one stolen base, while Branam went 2-for-4 with one stolen base, two RBI, and one run. Steinke has become a key player for Piqua: the team is 2-1 when he posts at least two runs, but 8-10 otherwise. Cohen Brown was another key player, earning one run and two stolen bases.

As for Shawnee, they have been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests. That's provided a massive bump to their 5-16 record this season. Their hitters stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most runs they've scored all season.

On Shawnee's side, Bryce Windau tossed a big game, striking out eight batters over six innings while giving up just one earned run off two hits. Windau has been nothing but reliable on the mound: he hasn't given up more than two walks in three consecutive appearances.

At the plate, the team relied heavily on Tate Bender, who went 2-for-3 with three runs, one triple, and two RBI. Those three runs gave him a new career-high. The team also got some help courtesy of Cole Sunderland, who got on base in three of his four plate appearances with three runs, two RBI, and one double.

Looking ahead, Piqua will square off against Kenton Ridge at 12:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Indians' pitchers better be ready for this one: the Cougars have averaged an impressive 7.3 runs per game this season. As for Shawnee, they will be playing at home against Defiance at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday.