SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP -- Travis Jones came up with "the catch."
    That was the springboard the Locos needed to trigger a game-winning, four-run eighth inning.
    And that was the key to taking the heat out of the Cincinnati Steam.
    The Locos pushed across four runs in the home eighth inning for an emotional, come-from-behind 5-3 victory over Cincinnati in the second round of the Great Lakes Collegiate League tournament Thursday afternoon at Shawnee High School.
    The Locos (2-0 for the tournament) advance to the winners bracket semifinals and will meet Grand Lake (2-0) at 4 p.m. today at Shawnee.
    Grand Lake knocked off Southern Ohio, 2-1, in 10 innings at Celina's Westview Park.
    Travis Fultz (Montevallo) had a two-run triple in the eighth to tie the game at 3. Bryan Bonner's RBI double gave the Locos the lead to stay, 4-3, in the eighth.
    Fultz said, "It's huge (to stay in the winners bracket) not to have to come in and throw an extra pitcher and have to fight to stay alive."
    Locos coach Rob Livchak said, "It takes the pressure off us and we can play a little bit loose. As long as you're not in that loser's bracket, you can go out and play baseball and your back isn't up against the wall and can play nice and loose and that's what I look for these guys to do."
    Cincinnati won four of six from the Locos during the regular season.
    On Thursday, Cincinnati led 3-1 entering the eighth and Steam starter Tyler Pritchard was on cruise control.
    In the top of the eighth, Cincinnati had a runner on second with two outs when Mike Barnard sent a parachute fly ball into no-man's land in shallow center field. And while it appeared to be a hit and RBI off the bat, Jones had his gas pedal to the floor from his spot at second base and made an amazing driving grab in shallow center for the third out.
    "I got a good read off the bat," Jones said. "After I ran and hustled for it, I could see I got closer and closer to it. I think the game
changed right there."
    Livchak said, "It's amazing what little things do to get these guys geared up. They believe in one another and they believe in themselves."
    Bonner said, "That was a game saver. That was big. We knew something good was going to happen (after that)."
    With the Locos down 3-1 in the home eighth, Jacob Robbins led off with a single to right. Drew Hoisington sent a double to the fence in left after left fielder Zach Hurley turned the wrong way when the ball came off the bat.
    With runners at second and third, Fultz sent a low liner to right that right fielder Rick Betsch tried to make a diving catch on. Betsch couldn't come up with the diving grab and the ball skipped by him to the fence for a two-run triple.
    That tied the game at 3.
    "It was a 1-2 pitch and I was trying to do a job and get the ball to the right side and score a run and move a guy over," Fultz said. "You haveto play small ball every once in a while and big things happen. I guess he got caught in between a dive and coming through for it and I saw it kick off his glove and (third-base coach) Jimmy (Morris) was waving me to come into third.
    "After Travis' dive in the outfield, the momentum, you could just feel it. We came in the dugout and everybody lifted up and we started hitting the ball and doing things we've done all year. It all clicked."
    With one out and Fultz at third, Bonner launched an RBI double to the left-field fence to give the Locos the lead to stay, 4-3. Martin Baker's RBI single to right made it 5-3.
    Locos starter Chris Rubio gave up two runs, one earned, in six innings. Brandon Slusher picked up the victory, giving up one run in two innings of relief.
    Left-hander Damon Brewer came on and got the save in the ninth. He hit Tony Kennedy with a pitch with one out, but came back to strike out Kory Longergan and got Josh Harrison to fly out to center to end the game.
    "I was pumped up and ready to go," Brewer said. "We got the lead in the eighth and it was real dramatic. I knew I had to do the job again."
   

LOCOS NOTES: The Locos will send Dan Barker to the mound today. Brewer had plenty of family members in town, including his parents, who came in from Tallahassee, Fla.

In the first game Thursday at Shawnee, Granville sent Lake Erie home with a 4-2 victory in an elimination game. Granville's Jeff Mojzik hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to break up a 2-2 game and give the Settlers a 4-2 lead.
    Delaware knocked out regular-season champion Columbus 6-5 in an afternoon elimination game Thursday at Grand Lake. Columbus went 0-2 for the tournament.