DAYTON – The pitching and defense that were staples of the Licking Valley baseball team’s run to a Division III state championship a year ago went missing for the Panthers on June 2.
Five Valley pitchers issued 10 walks and two costly errors combined to help doom the Panthers in a 16-6 defeat at the hands of Bishop Fenwick in a Division IV regional semifinal at Day Air Ballpark in Dayton. Five of the walks and both errors came in an eight-run third inning when the Falcons broke open what had been a 3-3 game.
“One of the things we pride ourselves on is defense and limiting walks. Unfortunately today our guys just didn’t have it,” Valley coach Adam Arcuri said. “It was a long ride, but we’ve not making excuses. We just weren’t very good today. Tip your hat to Fenwick. They were able to work counts and get timely hits.”
Valley (23-5) jumped out to a 3-0 lead as junior Brody Rodgers scored on a wild pitch in the first inning, and senior Zane Hochschild and Rodgers hit back-to-back two-out RBI doubles in the top of the second. Fenwick (21-8), however, answered in the bottom of the inning, tying the game at 3.
The Falcons took full advantage of the Panthers’ assistance. Conner Enderle hit a two-run single in the second inning, Carter Shouse two-run singles in the third and fourth and Jude McCullough a two-run double in the fifth.
“Our junior year we just decided, that’s not happening anymore,” Fenwick senior shortstop Jackson Kauffman said. “Last year we lost in the regional semis, so it was kind of personal for us. We were talking before the game just to remember that hurt that we had.”
Hochschild added an RBI single out of the No. 9 spot for Valley. Senior Trey McLauglin scored after two of his three walks, and sophomore Brady Croak added a hit and a run.
“You never know when your name or number is going to get called, and Zane Hochschild had a great day,” Arcuri said. “I wish we would have seen more of it this year, but better late than never.”
Valley’s state championship in 2025 was its first in its first trip to state. The Panthers did not reach those lofty heights this season, but they still added some firsts.
Valley won the Licking County League-Buckeye Division championship for the third consecutive season, the first time the Panthers have won three consecutive league titles. They also repeated as district champions for the first time.
“This doesn’t define our season, but it’s obviously not the showing we wanted this year,” said Arcuri, whose team graduates 10 seniors, including Adam West, Zane Hancock, Silas Kyle, Ethan Wolfe, McLaughlin, Hochschild and Grayson Snow from the starting lineup against Fenwick. “The seniors continued to help raise the standard. They have set the bar high.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking Valley’s pursuit of state baseball repeat ends in regional
Reporting by Kurt Snyder, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
