The 3rd inning is an oft overlooked one in baseball. When at a ballgame, it’s probably about the time you consider a bathroom break, grabbing a hot dog, or heading over to the team shop. This is probably because it is hard to win a game in the 3rd inning. Save for a special outburst of runs, like Elmer Smith’s 3rd Inning Grand Slam in the 1920 World Series, 3rd innings are rarely more than a small chapter in the novel that is a baseball game. Today, though, anyone who missed the 3rd inning was sorely disappointed, and would’ve missed the Red Riders close the book on a game against Canton South earlier than anticipated. Cam Kraft was steady on the mound yet again, going 5 innings and allowing zero runs, while his run support in the 3rd inning came from numerous members of the lineup. Jacob Ott, Hunter Adkins, and Kellen Wayt, are familiar names in these write ups, and came through yet again today, each with RBI Singles in the 3rd inning. Cameron Kraft also supported his own cause with an RBI single that inning. The 5th run of the inning came from Jacob Ott, who scored as the result of decisive base-running following a passed ball. That 5-run 3rd inning proved to be more than enough for a reliable Red Rider bullpen and defensive unit. Defensively, Austin Kraft and Alex Smith stood out, as Austin took away a line drive hit in the gap from the Wildcats, while Alex continued to dazzle at 1st base. His diving stop on a hard ground ball robbed the Wildcats of extra bases and a potential run scoring opportunity. Orrville’s 14th win is their most since before joining the PAC-7, and comes in only their 17th game of the season. The Red Riders will return to action Wednesday at Canton South for game 2 of their season series.