The Eagles and Bombers get ready for the playing of teh National Anthem ahead of their Division 2 State Semi-Final game.
Akron, OH - Division II Baseball State Semi-Final action. On a sunny morning with a nice breeze out to left Chaminade Julienne got the scoring started following a 1st inning walk to JP Peltier. With pitcher Jackson Frasure going down on strikes, Peltier broke for 2nd. LA Mighton's throw got past Tommy Pecoraro covering and trickled into center field allowing Peltier to advance to 3rd. The throw in from center fielder Bridger Bischof got past the cutoff man and catcher, allowing Peltier to scamper home.
Both teams would be retired in order in the 2nd and a pitchers duel was brewing. Kenston was able to get a runner on in the 3rd when 9-hole hitter Grant Beclay was able to draw a walk and steal 2nd. Chaminade Julienne pitcher Jackson Frasure was able to get the next two out to avoid any damage.
In the bottom of 4th the Eagles were able to get the 1st hit of the morning when DH Jacob Brunner bounced one through the infield. Following a sac bunt by Charlie Hoagland to move Brunner into scoring position, 2nd baseman Patrick Gonter-Dray was able to send a towering shot to shallow right out of the reach of 2nd and RF. With 2 down in the inning, Brunner was running on contact and scored easily. Munday was able to retire the next batter on a pop out to the short stop in shallow left.
Frasure continued his dominance in the 5th, allowing only a walk but no damage on the scoreboard. Kenston was finally able to get a hit on the board when Drew McKenna sent a towering fly ball over the left fielders head, good enough for a double. After moving up on a Wes Toth jam job to first, Frasure was able to get Tommy Pecoraro to pop out in foul territory near the 1st base dugout to escape the jam.
In the top of the 7th, with their backs against the wall, Kenston had their 6-7-8 hitters due up. Parker Munday attempted to help his own cause with a single to right to leadoff the inning. Nikko Georgiou followed with a pop out behind first that was corralled by 2nd baseman Gonter-Dray on the chalk of the foul line. Bridger Bischof was the next Bomber to the plate and he sent a single down the left field line, giving the Bombers runners at 1st and 2nd, down 2 in the top of the 7th with a ticket to the State Championship on the line.
Following a meeting at the mound, Chaminade Julienne head coach Todd Barbost elected to keep Frasure, who had eclipsed 100 pitches at this point, on the mound. After falling behind 2-0 to pinch hitter Avery Siperke, the decision was made to bring Charlie Hoagland in to pitch. Hoagland responded by walking Siperke to load the bases and flip the line-up to lead-off man Carter Flynn.
Carter Flynn smacks his 7th inning single to right.
Flynn would send a Hoagland offering to right field, plating Munday and Bischof. Flynn would move up to 2nd on an uncontested stolen base. LA Mighton would step to the plate and rope one down the left field line, landing in foul territory by inches.
With runners now on 2nd and 3rd, Mighton sent a high chopper over the drawn in 3rd baseman's head, plating the lead runner, Grant Beclay, who re-entered as a runner for Siperke, to give Kenston a 3-2 lead. With Mighton at 1st and Flynn at 3rd, the Bombers used some trickery, baiting the southpaw Hoagland to throwing a pickoff attempt to 1st while Flynn broke for home. The throw to the plate was not in time and the Bombers would take a 4-2 lead.
L.A. Mighton with the single to left.
Hoagland was able to get Drew McKenna to pop out to the short stop for the 2nd out of the inning before Wes Toth singled on a bouncer to short that hit off the heel of the short stops glove. With runners once more on the corners, Hoagland was able to get Tommy Pecoraro to line out back to the pitcher.
With a 2 run lead, Coach Joe Hritz went with Parker Munday to start the 7th. Munday was able to get leadoff hitter Patrick Gonter-Dray to line out to right field. Following an error by the short stop, Munday settled in an got the next batter to strike out swinging. With 2 down, pinch hitter Cam Brewer went down looking.
Parker Munday with strikeout number 12 for the final out of the game.
For Kenston, Parker Munday was able to get double digit strikeouts once again, ending the day with 12 while allowing only 2 singles. Kenston will play the winner of the Ontario and Washington match-up tomorrow at 4 pm at Canal Park for the Division 2 Championship.
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