The Jamestown Old Timers offense put up eight runs on 18 hits and the pitchers threw seven shutout innings.

It wasn’t enough.

Home-standing Girard (Ohio) did all the damage it needed in the bottom of the fifth.

The Old Timers played a single nine-inning game on Sunday, losing 10-8.

Ed Baldensperger shut down the home team three-up, three down for each of the first three innings. He gave up his first two baserunners, but no runs, on singles in the fourth.

Troy Johnson finished the game, allowing a single baserunner (all walks) in each of the last three frames.

It was the inning in the middle that was the problem. The Girard lineup caught fire in the fifth. The first 10 batters in the inning reached base – eight singles, a walk, and a hit batsman. A triple and a single closed out the inning.

The Old Timers’ bats were solid from the top of the lineup to the bottom and from the beginning of the game to the end.

Jamestown scored four in the second, two in the fourth, two in the sixth, and loaded the bases, threatening to take the lead, in the ninth.

Catcher Mark Hovan had three hits and scored three times. Shortstop Wade Nelson opened the four-run second with a double to deep left-center. Center fielder Jon Sitler, third baseman Dave Wortman, left fielder Brian Ferry, first baseman Rick Prindle, second baseman Larry Persing, right fielder/pitcher Johnson, and extra hitter Doug Frank each had two hits.

The Old Timers are now 2-1 on the season. They will host National Division rival Springfield (Ohio) at Diethrick Park in Jamestown for a doubleheader starting at 11 a.m. Sunday.

The Old Timers play in the wooden bat 50-plus Baseball League of Youngstown, Ohio. A team may have up to five players ages 47 through 49 (based on their age at the end of the calendar year) on the roster. A player may not pitch unless they will be 50 or older by the end of the calendar year.