DUBLIN ― Baseball statistics can often be misleading, and that was never more apparent than during the Newark-Hilliard Darby Division I district semifinal on May 26.
The 12th-seeded Panthers outhit the seventh-seeded Wildcats 9-4. But Newark combined walks, stolen bases, bunts and timely contact to score its final four runs without benefit of a hit, riding solid defense and gritty pitching from senior Moses Crane to a 5-2 victory at Dublin Coffman.
The Wildcats (19-7) return to Tim Saunders Field at 5 p.m. May 28 against the sixth-seeded host Shamrocks (20-8), which stunned Lancaster 6-5 with four runs in the bottom of the seventh. And Newark gets the chance to finally win an elusive district title, the first since 2008, because of the patented small ball that had evaded them later in the season.
“We did a better job getting guys on early in innings, which we did earlier in the season when we were successful, but not so much lately,” coach Michael Wheeler said. “We bunted, slapped the baseball around and had great steals and baserunning, put runners in scoring position. It was situational hitting, not actually hits, but it still worked. Just try to get one run each inning.”
After Darby (12-13-1) took a 1-0 lead in the first off Crane with Kade Romine’s two-out double and Josh Bowzer’s RBI single, Newark went to work in the third and scored in each of its final four at bats.
Braylon Beckett had a one-out single, and Brody Driskel and Crane followed with hits to load the bases with two outs. Brody Randall then coaxed a walk from losing lefthander Matt Irwin for a 1-1 tie.
Kodie Steele walked with one out in the fourth, stole second and continued to third when the throw went into center field, the only error by either team. Trenton Wilson delivered a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 lead the Wildcats would not relinquish.
Driskel walked leading off the fifth, stole second and was bunted to third by Crane. Randall then hit a high chopper to third, scoring Driskel to make it 3-1.
The Panthers got a leadoff walk in the sixth and two-out RBI hit by Mason Sharrock, making it 3-2. And Drew Limbird’s single put the tying run in scoring position. But as he did the whole game, Crane limited the damage, getting pinch hitter Xavier Hern to pop out.
Darby left eight on base, including at least one each inning.
“I’m not a strikeout guy,” said Crane, who struck out four and walked two. “I don’t need to strike them out, with Shoney (pitching coach Tony Shonebarger) calling the pitches and trusting the great defense I have behind me. I have so much faith in those guys.”
Small ball came up big again in the sixth when Luke Miller walked and Steele bunted him to second. Wilson was hit by a pitch, and a double steal put runners at second and third. Beckett grounded to shortstop, with Miller making a great slide to avoid the tag at home. Landyn Ankrum then put down a squeeze bunt for a 5-2 cushion.
Beckett, batting eighth, was inserted as designated hitter late in the season, and Ankrum is the No. 9 batter.
“My main approach is I try to hit fastballs, and if I don’t get one, I adjust and at least try to hit it somewhere and put the ball in play,” Beckett said. “We’re really solid on small ball. Just try to put the bat on the ball and get guys around.”
Added Crane: “We focus on that part of the game. Everyone is worried about launch angles and exit velocity, but you get just as much out of that approach. The bottom of the order guys really came through. Our 5-6-7 hitters got on and those guys executed.”
Crane, who threw 92 pitches, 58 for strikes, had to dodge one last bullet. Brock Jackson and Chase Kocourek led off the seventh with singles, but Romine bounced hard to third baseman Wilson. He backhanded it, stepped on third and fired to first for a double play.
“He gets his defense involved and keeps our energy up,” Beckett said of Crane. “As a team captain, leader and senior, he does a great job filling that spot for us.”
Newark had hoped to get a rubber game with eighth-seeded Lancaster, which jumped into their bracket after winning 2-0 at Joe Neff Field in a winner take all game for the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division championship. After a first league title since 2006 escaped the Wildcats’ seniors, they’re still losing that loss as motivation to kick down the district door.
“When we just lost to Lancaster, I asked coach Quack (Jeff Quackenbush, who is also athletic director) for a picture of them dogpiling on our field,” Crane said. “We see that hanging up in our locker room and we don’t get to play them again, but we still want that to be us, when it really counts.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Small ball propels Newark baseball to big win in district semifinals
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
