CANTON — Caden Coblentz was in grind mode. For that matter, so were the rest of his Hiland teammates.
The result was another step toward a three-peat.
Coblentz battled a gritty lineup loaded with lefties for six innings, enough to build a three-run lead on a day he needed 118 pitches and some intestinal fortitude to complete. For a guy used to dominating, it wasn’t familiar territory.
But he overcame it, escaping sixth-inning danger with some timely outs in a 4-2 win against Sherwood Fairview in a Division VI state semifinal on June 14 at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium.
Hiland (29-1) advanced to the finals against Hartville Lake Center Christian (28-4) at 1 p.m. on June 15 at Akron’s Canal Park. LCC routed Elmwood, 10-1, in their semifinal at Munson.
“The goal last summer was to get back in this position,” Hiland coach Chris Dages said. “And a lot of credit to them. They have worked hard in the offseason and grinded a very tough schedule through the regular season to prepare for this, so they are very excited. They want to leave their mark.”
Guts and defense carry Coblentz
Coblentz leaned heavily on a two-seam fastball to the Apaches’ horde of left-handed hitters, most of whom crowded the plate. The Hawks’ ace righty walked five but also made timely pitches to elude trouble in the first, second and fifth, when Fairview loaded the bases on a single and two walks.
He got Drayton Grinnell-Dennis to fly out to left field to end the threat with no damage, as Hiland preserved a 2-1 lead that grew to 4-1 an inning later.
Coblentz stranded two more in the sixth before Mike Miller got the final three outs for the save after allowing Grinnell-Dennis’ two-out RBI single.
It was easily the most lefties Hiland pitching had seen this season. In fact, there were more lefty hitters than righties in the game overall.
“Most of them had both feet on the line (in the box),” Coblentz said. “The umpire was giving me the outside half, so I was able to just work the fastball in, slider in. I just tried doing my line.”
Finding quality pitches in close games when trouble lurks has been one of Coblentz’s hallmarks in a heralded career. Few were bigger than the out he got to get out of the fifth, when he got up 0-and-2 in the count after walking two previous hitters.
“I was overthinking, trying to guide it,” Coblentz said. “Thaty’s how they got the bases loaded. I just had to stop thinking. … Trust my stuff.”
Dages said it was “it was a phenomenal job” of pitching under stress, though he has come to expect it.
“He got behind some hitters but he battled back and stayed within himself — didn’t try to do too much,” Dages said. “He used his defense and that was a good-hitting team. They put the ball in play and were able to get outs when we needed to. … There were some balls we could barely get to that were hits for sure.”
Team offense pays off
It wasn’t a day when Hiland rattled fences with long drives to the gaps, though it was Colin Coblentz’s opposite-field triple that split two defenders that sent Miller home with the third run in the fifth.
Prior to that, it was two manufactured runs.
The first came when Caden Coblentz singled in the first, took second on a bunt and then scored two batters later after a balk moved him to third with one out.
The second came two innings later when Miller singled, stole second, took third on Colin Coblentz’s grounder to second and scored on a Grady Monigold’s groundout to break a 1-1 tie. Monigold sent home another in the fifth with a ground ball.
It wasn’t exactly an offensive display like those inflicted on West Jefferson and Chillicothe Southeastern in the regional, when they scored 21 times, but it was nonetheless effective.
It was further proof that these Hawks can tango and swing equally on the dance floor. That doesn’t just happen — Dages said the players work extensively on bunting in practice, even though slugging is often their mantra.
“They did it a couple of times today,” Dages said of the bunts. “I mean, whatever the game calls for. We knew it was going to be tight because that is a good team over there.”
Hiland baseball vs. Sherwood Fairview: Live updates
Top 7th: Hiland baseball 4, Fairview 1
Left-hander Mike Miller into relieve Coblentz. He was a grinder all day against a gritty lineup loaded with lefties.
Miller gets a K looking left-on-left for first out. Another K left-on-left. His slurve is on point.
Olinger launches a long fly ball to right that got new right fielder Isaiah Wagler a little crossed up. Olinger takes third with two outs. Then an RBI single from Grinnell-Dennis to cut the lead to 4-2.
Singer up trying to keep it alive. First righty of the inning.
Miller gets Singer to hit a fisted liner to the shortstop to seal a hard-fought 4-2 win. Fairview finishes 28-4.
Coblentz gets the win with 9Ks and 5 BBs, but allowed only five singles. Colin Coblentz paces the offense with a triple and single with two RBIs.
Hawks to take on either Elmwood (22-8) or Lake Center Christian (27-4), a team Hawks defeated 4-1 in the ninth game of the regular season.
Bott. 6th: Hiland 4, Fairview 1
Jonah Shininger in to pitch for Fairview. Got a little more heat than Arend with a little crossfire action in his delivery.
Shininger gets two quick outs, then walks Kandel on a full count. This pace is slowing down to a crawl.
A strikeout ends the inning as we head to the seventh with the Village People’s “YMCA” echoing through the valley.
Top 6th: Hiland baseball 4, Fairview 1
Coblentz at 100 pitches as Apaches have battled him all day. He could use a quick inning.
Just like that, Singer goes up the middle for a hit as Palladino comes up for the third time. He goes down looking on a two-seamer on the corner.
Jesse Coolman lines out to a shaded Miller in right field, who makes a nice running catch on a slicer toward the line. Some good luck there for Coblentz, who needs an out to get out of the inning.
Olinger singles to right to put two runners on. Arend hoping to help himself with two outs.
Coblentz knuckles up again with runners on, getting a routine fly out to left. He’ll need a nap and a couple of bags of ice when this one is over.
Bott. 5th: Hiland baseball 2, Fairview 1
Mike Miller takes second base after Arend’s bad throw on a dribbler back to him eludes first baseman and goes down the line. Colin Coblentz with another chance to move a runner here with no outs.
Arend has hung in there with his breaking ball. Hawks haven’t squared it much. But then Coblentz belts an opposite-field triple to the gap as he unleashes a primal scream toward his teammates. Miller scores to make it 3-1.
Some action in Apaches’ bullpen. Arend at 52 pitches as Monigold’s ground ball to second — again without the infield drawn in — nets a run. It’s 4-1 Hawks with 1 out.
Arend with two good hooks to induce a strikeout and end the inning, but the damage was significant.
Top 5th: Hiland baseball 2, Fairview 1
Coblentz at 74 pitches here in the 5th as we are nearing the third time through the order. This is when it usually gets interesting.
Logan Olinger lines a single to right as Apaches get their leadoff man on. Then he moves up on a groundout, but Coblentz induces a dribbler for second out. Here comes Mack.
Mack gets up 3-0 and walks on a full count. Zane Timbrook also gets ahead in the count 3-and-0. Coblentz playing with fire here.
Timbrook walks to load the bases with two outs. Grinnell-Dennis comes up with a chance to give Fairview the lead with a hit.
Coblentz bows his neck, gets ahead 0-and-2 and puts Grimmel-Dennis away with a curveball that he pops up on the infield. Big-time gut check for the big righty there.
Bott. 4th: Hiland baseball 2, Fairview 1
A reminder: Chocolate milk is the official drink of the OHSAA. If you haven’t heard it 28 times already, you will by the end of the weekend.
Logan Yoder hit by a curveball that slips out of Arend’s hand to start the 1st, then Hershberger bunts him up as Beachy and his big stick come to bat.
Beachy hits one back to Arend, who makes a nice snag and gets Yoder hung up off second, but his throw ricochets off the shortstop’s glove as all runners are safe. Kandel coming up with two on and one out.
Kandel lines out as Shady makes a nice sliding play in lefty. Everybody is standing up (in spirt, at least).
Caden Coblentz flies out to deep left to end the threat.
Top 4th: Hiland baseball 2, Fairview 1
Coblentz working on a two-hitter as he induces a can of corn to center, strikes out Palladino swinging and gets a pop up to end it. I am appreciating the swift pace to this one.
Bott. 3: Hiland baseball 1, Fairview 1:
Mike Miller with a lead-off single, then steals second without a throw. Hawks threatening to get the lead back off Arend.
The sun is making a true threat here as Colin Coblentz moves the runner to third with one out in a good team at-bat. Then Monigold sends him home against a surprisingly not drawn-in infield. Hawks lead 2-1.
Arend gets a flyout to end the inning.
Top 3rd: Hiland baseball 1, Fairview 0
Coblentz really trying to work the two-seamer away from this righties. He yields a walk to open the inning as Shady Fritch — another lefty — comes to the plate. Shady goes down swinging, but another balk is called. That’s two already, which are two more than I saw called in 10 weeks previously.
Another lefty at the plate in Cole Mack, who singles up the middle to send home the tying run. Balk call looms large.
Coblentz with another K looking to a lefty. This was on two-seam paint away. Grinnell-Dennis comes up as the third lefty this inning to bat.
Grinnell-Dennis goes down looking on a slider in. I’d expect some more off-speed as this game progresses as it sure looks like Fairview is hunting the Terminator.
Bott. 2nd: Hiland baseball 1, Fairview 0
Logan Yoder flies out deep to center for the first out, then Keith Hershberger chases a letter-high pitch for second out before Cade Beachy reaches on a single back up the box. Then a single to right from Kaden Kandel to send Beach to third.
Caden Coblentz pops out to end the threat.
Top 2nd: Hiland baseball 1, Fairview 0
Caden Coblentz is your prototype, out-of-the-lab righty with a high 80s fastball and slider that will break into these lefties. We shall see what the adjustments will be the second time through the order.
Lead-off single for Anthony Singer to start the inning. Another lefty at the plate Ethan Palladino, whose excuse-me swing nets a fielder’s choice at second for the first out.
Jesse Coolman goes down looking and Logan Olinger strikes out swinging to end the threat.
Bott 1st: Hiland baseball 0, Fairview 0
The best lineup I have seen this season is Hiland, which combines an aggressive approach with good power from multiple spots in its lineup. Hawks have been explosive throughout this tournament.
Smoked single to left off Fairview righty Elijah Arend sets early tone. After a sac, Colin Coblentz sends home the first run with a single. Now a balk moves Coblentz up a base with one out.
Grady Monigold strikes out swinging but Coblentz moves up a base. Danny Hostetler now up looking for some two-out damage but grounds out to end the threat.
Top 1st: Hiland baseball 0, Fairview 0
Hawks thowing ace righty Caden Coblentz here on a muggy, overcast day in Stark County. A lot of rain north us, but we are playing dry so far.
Coblentz yields a walk to the leadoff man and falls behind in the count, 3-0, to No. 4 hitter Zane Timbrook, who yells to his own dugout after getting the free pass. No. 5 hitter Drayden Grinnell-Dennis is the fourth left-hander to take the plate this inning.
Coblentz gets a K to end the inning. Hawks coming to bat.
HAWKS’ ROAD TO STATE
Regional final: Hiland 10, Southeastern 0
Regional semifinal: Hiland 11, West Jefferson 4
District title: Hiland 3, Garaway 0
District semifinal: Hiland 10, Newcomerstown 3
District opener: Hiland 12, Monroe Central 0
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Hiland baseball moved one win closer to a state championship, but it wasn’t easy.
Reporting by Sam Blackburn, The Times-Reporter / The Times-Reporter
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