LANCASTER ― Baseball teams are often credited with “stealing” a win. But that’s literally what underdog Newark did on June 2 in a riveting Division I regional semifinal at venerable Beavers Field.
The Wildcats not only stole home for the only run of the game, but threw out a game-tying steal at the plate in a stunning 1-0 win against the loaded Central District’s top seed, Olentangy Liberty.
Senior Brody Driskel stole home on the back end of a double steal in the first inning, and sophomore lefthander Brody Randall made it stand up with a stellar four-hitter, as Newark (21-7), seeded just seventh in the district, advanced to its first regional final in 20 years. The Wildcats return to Beavers at 2 p.m. June 4 against Olentangy Orange (23-5), which nipped Olentangy 3-2, to decide a big-school state berth, which would be their first since 1991.
“Coach (Michael) Wheeler played in the last regional final in 2006, so it’s kind of come full circle,” said the unflappable Randall, who struck out three, walked three and let his defense do the work. “I wasn’t even born then.”
Wheeler, an infielder on that Newark team, alluded to that fact.
“That was way in the past,” he said. “All I’m thinking about is these guys. To go out, compete with and beat a team a team of that caliber, it’s all about them. If you would have told me one run in the first inning would win the game, I would have told you, you were crazy.”
To defeat the Patriots (25-5) and flame-throwing senior righthander Parker Van Engelenhoven, who throws upper 80s-low 90s and is headed to Louisville, all it took was a little patented Newark small ball and plenty of heads up defense.
Driskel was hit by a pitch leading off the game and advanced to third on a pair of wild pitches. Bodie Smith drew a two-out walk, got into a rundown between first and second and eluded the tag, allowing Driskel to slide in safely with the only run of the game.
Liberty looked certain to tie it in the first when Louis Santangelo led off with a double. But with one out and him breaking for third, he was hit by Evan Thacker’s hard grounder. Knox Brenning followed with another hit, but Thacker got caught up between third and home and was tagged out by third baseman Driskel.
The Wildcats tagged Van Engelenhoven for six hits (he struck out eight, walked two and hit two), but he stranded seven runners, six in scoring position. That included in the third when Moses Crane, who went 3 for 4 with a double, and Randall singled and they moved up on Smith’s groundout. Luke Miller, who went 2 for 3, then looped one into shallow left, only to see shortstop Ryan Stickel leap to save two runs.
As Randall continued to dominate, the Patriots rolled the dice in the sixth, after Van Engelenhoven’s leadoff drive to left center was dropped by lunging center fielder Smith. It was ruled a triple, and Smith had to be helped off the field with what appeared to be a serious knee injury.
Randall bore down, getting a rollout to first baseman Miller, and after a walk, struck out A.J. Goldmeyer. With two out, Van Engelenhoven broke for the plate, but Randall kept his poise, delivered the pitch without balking, and catcher Keaton McClain tagged him out.
“I saw the guy leaving first and figured he was going,” Randall said. “I just went ahead and threw the pitch like normal.”
Said Wheeler: “He did not panic. We expected them to try something, but did not expect a steal of home. Keaton made a great play and we made some great plays out there.”
Randall then got three consecutive flyouts in the seventh, the last to sophomore Daniel Hoberg in deep right. He entered as the defense shifted with Smith out.
“We trust in Danny. Our younger guys have helped us out a lot,” Driskel said. “Brody threw amazing, and he was throwing not to strike people out, but trusting in his guys. That’s the biggest part of the game, trusting in your defense. Those guys were ranked No 1 or 2 in the state all year.”
Newark’s trust in him bolstered Randall’s confidence.
“It was the biggest game I’ve ever been a part of, and they gave me the ball and had confidence in me,” he said. “He (Van Engelenhoven) is a great pitcher and I had to match him as much as I could. People who had seen them told me before the game, fill the zone with two-seamers (fastballs) and they would not get great swings. They barrelled up a few, but not too many. My arm felt great and everything was smooth. I tweaked my mechanics so I would throw more strikes.”
As Newark attempts to make the Final 4, it will have to do so without cleanup hitter Smith, who was slated to play quarterback in the Licking-Muskingum All-Star Football Game and also has a football scholarship to Wheeling University.
“That really hurts,” Wheeler said. “He’s so much of a leader for us and does so much for us in that regard. Remember. He’s the one who got into that rundown and avoided the tag, or we wouldn’t be standing here.”
Observed Randall: “I was sad. He’s my best friend. He gives me so much encouragement from the outfield. I finished the game for him.” He threw 107 pitches, 54 for strikes.
The Wildcats will have to lean on their depth, but will have Crane, who has pitched a lot of their big games, on the mound.
“It’s going to the same thing as with Brody out there,” Driskel said. “Mo is going to throw strikes and has his defense behind him.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Randall, Newark baseball steal one from powerful Patriots in Sweet 16
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
