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Pioneers find late-inning Providence again, deny Greencastle trip to state finals
PLAINFIELD — Greencastle got the start it wanted. Providence got the finish it needed.
A 5-0 start for the Tiger Cubs in the championship game of the IHSAA Baseball Class 2A South Semi-State at Plainfield was gone by the third inning.
Greencastle tied the game in the fourth and both teams dug in as the Pioneers, who won in walk off fashion in the opening game, did it again in the eighth inning to win 7-6 and advance to the IHSAA Baseball Class 2A State Final.
“We came out, did what we’ve been doing all tournament as the visiting team, jumping out early, putting the pressure on and settling ourselves down in the process,” Greencastle head coach Ben Wells said. “You have to understand at this point, and the boys understood, that even though we were up 5-0, there was a lot of baseball to be played and (Providence) got to this point for a reason.
“They had also been here before. The guys knew the assignment and weren’t going to quit but had an inning where things got away from us and we didn’t play as clean as we needed to.”
With Sam Gooch out for game two after an injury in the opening game, Greencastle still got off to a fast start against Providence starter Blake Straub.
Bryton Gregg drew a one-out walk before singles from Nathan Sutherlin and Ashton Dayhuff loaded the bases.
A wild pitch saw the first run come in before Trevin Long singled home a second and Jayce Spidel laid down a squeeze bunt with two outs to bring in a third.
Sutherlin, on the mound for the first time since Memorial Day, got a quick 1-2-3 bottom of the first before the Tiger Cubs loaded the bases again in the second inning.
Owen Huff and Sutherlin walked before a shallow single from Dayhuff loaded the sacks for Long, who singled in his second run of the game to make it 4-0.
A key moment in the game came when Connor Sullivan drew a 3-0 count on Jack Beyl, who came in for Straub to start the inning.
On what looked to be ball four, Beyl was called for a balk, allowing a run to score but nullifying the pitch.
Beyl dug in and got Sullivan to strike out, ending the inning with just two runs scored.
Luke Kruer started the bottom of the inning with a solo home run before a walk to Straub was compounded when Sutherlin’s pickoff attempt was too high for Sullivan at first, allowing Straub to reach third and score on Lincoln Kruer’s squeeze bunt.
Errors would be punished heavily by the Pioneers in the third as Cole Huett singled, reaching second when the ball was misplayed in the outfield, and scored on a Beyl double.
Gavin Jackson was hit by a pitch and Luke Kruer was walked to load the bases with a wild pitch allowing a run to score before another Lincoln Kruer squeeze bunt tied the game at 5-5.
Connor Sad singled in a fourth run in the inning before Sutherlin was able to get out of the inning.
Gregg and Sutherlin singled and double to start the fourth with Dayhuff bringing in a run with a groundout and while Long singled, he was thrown out going for second and another strikeout ended the inning with the game tied at 6-6.
“Not getting Nathan’s run was huge,” Wells noted. “We came out hitting the ball really well, it’s just one of those days they didn’t come when we needed them.”
From there, the Tiger Cub offense was put in shackles while Sutherlin danced out of trouble in the fifth after hitting two batters and in the sixth after a walk saw a runner reach third but was stranded.
Providence was inches from winning the game in the bottom of the seventh after a walk and fielder’s choice saw two batters reach with one out but Sutherlin got a strikeout before Long threw out Lucas Mauk on a groundout by the smallest of margins.
“Nathan came out, got a quick inning, gave up a couple in the second and Providence hit the ball well,” Wells said about the sophomore’s performance on the mound. “They’re a big, strong team and we knew that would be the case.
“For him to go the distance was huge. We just couldn’t scratch anything across off (Beyl).”
Greencastle finally threatened in the eighth after an error and single put two on but Jackson took over on the mound and got a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.
Gregg took over on the mound, having 15 pitches to spare from game one, and got two quick strikeouts before issuing a four-pitch walk to Beyl.
Beyl took off on a 1-0 count and Gregg’s pitch went to the backstop, allowing Beyl to reach third, setting up Jackson to take a 2-2 pitch down the right field line for the game-winning hit, sending Providence to the state title game.
“These guys fought all game,” Wells said. “I’ve said numerous times that I don’t know I’ve had as much fun coaching this group.”
Greencastle finished the season 17-11, winning the school’s first baseball sectional in 30 years, its first regional in 35 years and reaching the farthest point in the state tournament in school history.
With Huff the only senior, the Tiger Cubs will bring back the rest of the roster and Wells said while nothing was guaranteed, the team was set up to challenge deep in the tournament again in the future.
“I told our guys that it’s baseball and you can’t take anything for granted,” Wells said. “It was 35 years since a team of ours played here.
“I like where we’re at. We’re a talented, young group. We’re going to miss Owen, who was a great senior and leader for us. We only have one senior again next year but I have high expectations for this group and fully expect us to be back here again.”
Greencastle 320 1000 00 — 6 10 4
Providence 024 000 01 — 7 7 3
WP — Jackson 2/3 IP, 2 K
LP — Gregg 2/3 IP, R (ER), H, BB, 2 K
HR — Luke Kruer
2B — Sutherlin; Beyl
RBI — Long (2), Dayhuff, Spidel; Lincoln Kruer (2), Luke Kruer, Beyl, Jackson, Sad