NAPPANEE — New Prairie never faced NorthWood left-hander Connor Reed on the mound during the schools’ regular-season baseball meeting back in late April.
In Saturday’s 3-2 loss in the IHSAA Class 3A regional championship, the Cougars got more than their fill of the stylish senior.
“That kid is really good,” junior catcher Reed Robinson said. “He was able to locate his pitches. I don’t really strike out that often, and he dotted a high fastball (on a third-inning strikeout). I mean, it was just perfectly placed.”
In falling for the second time this season to the Panthers at their Field of Dreams Complex, New Prairie closed its year at 21-10. NorthWood, claiming just its second regional title in 42 seasons and its first in eight years, improved to 20-12 and advanced to a semi-state meeting with Norwell on June 14.
Reed, going the distance for the seventh time in 10 outings, recorded just three strikeouts on his first two trips through the order against the defending state champions. He then cranked up his four-pitch repertoire to the boiling point.
Six of the final nine outs for New Prairie came via strikeout, including five in a row after Robinson’s two-out double brought the designated home team within a run in the fifth.
“I would like to think if we got another round we would have maybe done some more damage,” Robinson said. “But baseball is baseball. Baseball is hard.”
New Prairie outhit the winners 6-3 but went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position, including two strikeouts. Senior Jordan Davis tied the game in the first on the front end of a two-out double steal, but New Prairie’s potent offense never caught fire.
“(Reed) really kept us off balance,” senior right fielder Beau Kmiecik said. “He had a good curveball, and he commanded his fastball too. He’s a good pitcher. He did what needed to be done. He didn’t throw many balls. He was in command out there.”
Now 6-2 with a 2.30 ERA, Reed walked none and went to a three-ball count just five times in his 100-pitch afternoon.
That was enough to make an early 3-1 advantage hold up. Mason Warren’s two-out, opposite-field double scored two in the second inning and chased Cougars starter Sully Kress.
The first NorthWood run scored on Kress’ wild pitch three batters in.
Fellow junior right-hander Colton Griffiths went the rest of way, allowing just an infield single and facing the minimum over the final 5 1/3 innings.
The Panthers, however, never cracked while improving to 4-6 in one-run games.
‘A hard time for all of us’
Thus ended a spirited late-season push, after which the Cougars summoned eloquence amid their disappointment.
“It’s a special group, and it starts with our four seniors,” coach Mark Schellinger said. “It’s a group that works really hard and has a lot of fun. I told them if you can live your life that way … that’s a pretty good way to go through life.”
After starting the year 0-3, the Cougars rallied for nine straight wins in the wake of a May 8 bush crash in LaPorte County that injured seven players and two coaches.
“It’s a hard time for all of us,” said Robinson, a junior catcher, “but the way we were able to adapt all season to a hard situation that we weren’t expecting, to come out here and do what we did, I’m just very proud of our team.”
Sophomore Lucas Bradshaw remains hospitalized, and his father, Brad, an assistant coach, was in attendance Saturday.
“We all wear ‘LukeStrong’ very proudly,” Robinson said. “Lucas, he’s always in our thoughts. Coach Bradshaw coming out here and supporting. I mean, that’s amazing for what he has to go through.
“He broke his sternum and he’s still out here supporting us. That just shows a love for the game. We couldn’t be more grateful for them and that whole family. We always keep them in our thoughts and prayers.”
Follow staff writer Mike Berardino on social media @MikeBerardino.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Emotional run for New Prairie baseball ends with IHSAA 3A regional loss at NorthWood
Reporting by Mike Berardino, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
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