North Montgomery’s hopes for a share of the Sagamore Conference baseball championship ended with a 4-2 loss to Tri-West, in 11 innings.
After both teams scored a pair of runs in their respective first innings, it was nine innings of scoreless baseball, as the Bruins and Chargers battled with the conference championship playing out in everyone’s head.
North needed wins over the Bruins both today and tomorrow, plus a win Friday, to stake a share in the crown.
The soft fly ball that scored the go-ahead run for TW in the top of the 11th ended those dreams, as North falls to 14-10 on the season and 8-4 in the league. While the Bruins claim the title all to themselves as they move to 17-5 for the season and 11-1 in the Sagamore.
“I feel so bad for the guys,” North coach Matt Voorhees said. “We have been talking since January about our talents, our abilities and our hope to compete for a Sagamore championship. I believe in them so much. We had chances tonight, and I know we can second-guess some things and places, but we got some big plays from guys ne. We needed a couple more hits. Hats off and congratulations to Tri-West. They have been very good this season, and the earned it.”
The extra inning win for the Bruins was also dedicated to the memory of TW senior Brook Parker, who lost a battle with cancer Sunday.
“I’m just so proud of these guys,” said Bruins coach Nick Spence. “What they have shown in the last 24 hours is just so special. It is also so incredibly fitting that Brook’s best friend, and prom date, Reid Benner, got the go-ahead hit in the seventh. Tonight was quite a game and our guys battled from the start to the end and found a way to win. This championship is just special as well – it makes Tri-West more than a softball and football school.”
The title is the first outright Sagamore baseball championship for the Bruins.
The game didn’t start out as a pitcher’s duel, with both teams putting two runs on the board in the first inning.
The Bruins took advantage of a pair of hits, two walks and a wild pitch to get their two while the Chargers started out with a Jarrod Kirsch triple and Ross Dyson single. Dyson drove in Kirsch, and then scored on a Corbin Meadows sacrifice fly after an error moved him up.
Those two would be the only runs of the night for North.
The Chargers had a chance to walk off with the win the tenth, when Roman Utterback singled, stole second and was sacrificed to third. After the Bruins intentionally walked the bases full, TW relief pitcher Isaac Pierson got back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.
North also had two on with nobody out in the sixth, but the second TW double play of the game stilled the threat.
“It was 10 innings of scoreless baseball for us,” Voorhees noted. “We have to find a way to execute at the plate better and get that run across.”
The Chargers were led by Utterback and Kirsch with two hits each.
Cade Cole pitched the first seven innings for the Chargers, and gave way to Austin Sulc. Pierson picked up the win in relief for the Bruins, after Caden Murphy started and Lucas Kirby came in to throw in the fourth.
The Bruins got their go-ahead runs in the 11th when Chase Holland and Blake Sonickson both walked with two outs. Benner’s bloop single to left scored one run, and an outfield error let the second run in.
“We’ve got a minute to celebrate and then get ready for the rest of the season,” Spence said. “North really kept us off balance at the plate, but we did get a couple big hits and played good defense. They will come after us Tuesday and then we have to get ready to face Crawfordsville next week in the sectional.”
The Chargers also have zero time to regroup, with a trip to the Bruins new field in 24 hours.
“First, a couple mentions for big efforts tonight,” Voorhees said. “Cole made some great adjustments after the first inning and never let them back in. Sulc made four huge defensive plays at third before coming in to pitch, and he did a good job. Tomorrow we play for pride, for getting guys all-conference mentions, and for getting ready for the sectionals. This championship has gotten away from us, but there is a big one still in our sights and within our grasp. We play every pitch, every batter, every inning. Tomorrow is a character challenge for our team.”
