DUBLIN – Baseball can be a cruel game, and the Lancaster baseball team found out the hard way.
The Golden Gales had all the momentum and were three outs away from securing victory. However, the Baseball Gods had other plans during Lancaster’s Central District Division I district semifinal against Dublin Coffman on May 26.
Lancaster led 3-2 in the top of the sixth inning and added two insurance runs in the seventh to take a three-run lead, which looked to be more than enough runs, but it wasn’t meant to be as the Shamrocks rallied in the bottom half of the inning to plate four runs and walk it off in a stunning 6-5 victory over the shell-shocked Gales.
It was a tough ending to say the least for Lancaster (21-7-1), which had high hopes after clinching an outright Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division championship. It marks the fourth straight year the Gales have come up empty in the tournament.
This loss stings, and Lancaster coach Corey Conn was still in a little bit of shock at how it all turned out.
“We were able to get some huge insurance runs in the seventh, which gave us some room to work with,” Conn said. “We almost played the perfect game, but in the tournament, there is no margin for error.”
Coffman (19-8) took an early lead by scoring a run in the first inning, but the Gales were able to take a 2-1 lead in the third inning on an RBI double from Levi Greiner and an RBI single from Kam Griffith.
Junior pitcher Brody Broeckel, who entered the game with a 10-0 record, was able to settle in after a shaky first inning. He kept Coffman off the board over the next three innings and allowed a run in the sixth, which tied the score.
The Gales took the lead in the sixth inning when Jack Pompey hit a high chopper over the third baseman’s head to score Ben Thimmes, who had singled earlier in the inning. After Broeckel kept the Shamrocks off the board in the bottom half of the inning, Lancaster scored its two insurance runs when Coleson Ross led off with a double and scored on a double from Greiner. Griffith followed with an RBI single.
Coffman began its rally in the seventh when the first batter reached on a throwing error, and the next batter walked. A single loaded the bases, and another single scored two runs to cut the deficit to 5-4. After a sac bunt moved the runners up, the next batter singled home the tying and go-ahead runs.
“We accomplished a couple of big goals, which were to win a league title and win at least 20 games, and this group was able to do that,” Conn said. “It has been such a tremendous year, and I have had so much fun being around these guys every day. That’s the part that stinks because when you have a group like this, every day is enjoyable, and you want that to keep going and last as long as possible. It’s heartbreaking, and I am still numb. It doesn’t feel real. It stinks this way.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X at twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Lancaster baseball falls in heartbreaking finish
Reporting by Tom Wilson, Lancaster Eagle-Gazette / Lancaster Eagle-Gazette
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