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PARK TUDOR BASEBALL REGIONAL: Tiger Cubs win first regional since 1989, avenge loss to Warriors
INDIANAPOLIS — As the long-expected rain began to reach its peak during the seventh inning, Greencastle stood just three outs away from adding the school’s second baseball regional title to its trophy case.
The ball was in Bryton Gregg’s hand once again and, just like he had done Monday night against Cloverdale, the freshman didn’t let the big occasion faze him, needing just 80 pitches to down Covenant Christian 7-3 in the IHSAA Baseball Park Tudor Regional Saturday afternoon.
“We told the guys we played (Covenant Christian) well the first time we played, we just made a couple of mistakes in the first inning that cost us two runs,” Greencastle head coach Ben Wells said. “As I said on Monday, we’re playing the best baseball we’ve played all year and where we couldn’t produce runs in the first game, we did that today.”
Greencastle trailed to start the first meeting with Covenant Christian on May 10 but was the team to strike first Saturday as a quick two-out rally saw Nathan Sutherlin single, Ashton Dayhuff draw a walk and Trevin Long single to plate Sutherlin for a 1-0 advantage after half an inning of play.
“That was big,” Wells noted. “It takes some of the pressure off yourself and allows you to settle in.
“With Bryton on the mound, if you can get a few runs, you’ve got a good chance of winning.”
The Warriors tied the game in the bottom of the second as Jameson Laughlin singled on a play that saw the batter caught in a run-down while a run scored.
The Tiger Cubs struck back with three runs in the third inning as Sutherlin walked with one out while Dayhuff and Long singled to load the bases.
Trevten Clark hit a sac fly to plate Sutherlin before Covenant Christian pitcher Gabe Unger made a pair of throwing errors that allowed two runs to score before getting a strikeout to finally end the inning.
“We really didn’t know who Covenant would send out there,” Wells said on Unger getting the start. “It’s hard to try to prep for because you don’t have game film and you can’t scout as often because you’re also playing every night.
“We looked at stats and they had three guys that were similar in terms of innings pitched and control, so we figured it would be one of those guys.”
Greencastle missed a chance to add runs in the fourth when Owen Huff and Sam Gooch started the inning with singles off new pitcher Nolan Guzman, only for a strikeout, deep fly ball and pop out to end the inning.
The Warriors pulled a run back in the bottom of the inning after Blake Cope led off with a double and Unger hit a two-out double to bring the runner home.
Another scoring chance went unanswered for the Tiger Cubs as Long doubled to lead off the fifth inning but was stranded at third.
Covenant Christian closed the deficit further in the sixth as Connor Cruz hit a two-out solo home run over the left field fence, making it a 4-3 game, though an error on the next play was negated when Laughlin was judged to have run wide of the base path on a bunt attempt.
Greencastle finally capitalized on a scoring chance in the seventh as Sutherlin reached on an error and moved to third after an errant throw when the sophomore stole second base.
Long hit a sac fly to bring in Sutherlin to make it 5-3 while Clark kept the inning going with a single in the next at-bat.
Connor Sullivan followed by drawing a walk and Dillon Hughes singled to load the bases.
Huff hit a grounder to short but indecision on where to go with the throw saw Huff reach safely while a run scored.
Gooch drew a walk to force home a third run in the inning to make it 7-3 heading to the bottom of the seventh.
“It would have been easy after the fourth and fifth for our guys to hang their heads,” Wells said about adding the insurance runs. “This group, though, they don’t know any better and they just love to play the game.”
Gregg gave up a leadoff single but got two ground balls that saw the lead runner out at second before getting a fly ball to Huff in center for the final out of the game and a second regional title.
“We’re all a really good team collectively,” Hughes said as the all-freshman battery allowed just six hits in the win. “Me and Bryton have come into our own this season and shown what we can do.”
UPDATE Greencastle will face North Posey in the first game of the IHSAA Plainfield Baseball Semi-State Saturday at 11 a.m. The winner will play the winner of Providence and Knightstown, which is slated to start at 2 p.m., in the semistate final at 8 p.m.
Greencastle 103 000 3 — 7 10 1
Covenant Christian 010 101 0 — 3 6 6
WP — Gregg 7 IP, 3 R (3 ER), 6 H, BB, 5 K
LP — Unger 3 IP, 4 R (2 ER), 5 H, 3 BB, 2 K
HR — Cruz
2B — Long; Cope, Unger
RBI — Long (2), Clark, Gooch; Cruz, Unger, Laughlin