NEW MARKET — It was a “bottoms-up” win Wednesday for Southmont’s baseball team as they defeated Crawfordsville 6-5 in a county and Monon Conference game.
The No. 7, 8 and 9 hitters in the Mounties lineup reached base to start both the third and fourth innings, and five of those six baserunners scored. It was all part of the four runs that South scored in the third inning, to go with a pair in the fourth, that was just enough to stay in front of the Athenians.
“After last night (loss to Crawfordsville) I was pretty upset with the guys, and I told them,” South coach Dan Chadd said. “I told them we were going to shake up the order a bit and move some guys around. We put a freshman in to DH, and mixing things up a little got the guys to focus better, and those bottom three hitters came up clutch.”
The three heroes were Colton Cory, Eli Hannum and Caden Miller.
Cory, the senior, had been “hitting well in the five-spot” according to Chadd, but moved down two positions.
He opened the bottom of the third with a single, and was soon joined on base by Hannum and Miller, who were both hit by a pitch.
Cory would score on a wild pitch, Hannum on a bases-loaded walk by Gunnar Shirk, and Miller on an infield single by Kasen Bushong.
The fourth run of that big third inning was scored by Dean McGaughey, who was walked and eventually scored on a wild pitch.
It was déjà vu in the fourth, as Cory and Hannum led off with walks, followed by a single from Miller.
Cory was forced out, but Hannum scored on an infield single by Phisher Benge. Miller came in on a McGaughey single.
Shirk and relief pitcher Eden Hernandez made the lead stand.
Shirk went six innings, and allowed the five Crawfordsville runs, scattered over four different innings. The senior scattered seven hits, walked three and struck out seven, throwing 115 pitches.
Hernandez picked up the save of the year for the Mounties, as he worked the seventh, and after a walk and an infield single got a fly ball out and grounder back to himself for the final out.
“I am a coach that asks guys, and I asked Eden if he was ready to go,” Chadd said of the discussion with his junior pitcher.
“Eden said ‘as long as Dean (McGaughey) is catching, I’m ready,’ Chadd continued. “Those two have been pitching to each other since they were six years old.”
The win over Crawfordsville is the second in three.
“Any win is big and any conference win is bigger, but to beat Crawfordsville, a program that has been so good for decades, makes it more special,” Chadd said. “Our seniors have worked so hard for four years, and for them to get another win over Crawfordsville is just that much sweeter for them. We made some big plays tonight, we ran the bases well and we took advantage of a couple mistakes. We won a tight, tight game tonight that we have lost so many times when things just went away. It was great to get one at home.”
The Athenians scored a run in the first, added another in the second and two in the third to have a 4-0 lead until South got four in the bottom of the third, but could manage only one run in their last four at-bats. There were chances, but the visitors left 13 runners on base. Like South, the bottom of the batting order hit well for C’ville, as the bottom three each reached base at least twice and each scored a run.
No. 9 hitter Cole Strickland was 3-for-3, including a double, and drove in a run. He walked his fourth time up.
“We started off really well,” Crawfordsville coach Brett Motz said. “We had the momentum on our side but then they put that four-spot up and it deflated us. Then we didn’t score after that four, and they got stronger and started believing. We just could never recover. We made a couple mistakes, a couple things didn’t go our way, and all of a sudden it’s a loss. We needed a big hit, and we have guys that are capable and have gotten that big hit before, but it didn’t happen tonight.”
Ethan Campbell started on the mound and took the loss, going four innings. The junior allowed only five hits, walking four and striking out four. He also hit two batters while throwing 74 pitches. Landon Gerold threw the last two innings.
The win moves South to 3-8 overall and 1-7 in the Monon Conference, while the Athenians fall to 7-7 on the season and 4-4 in the league.
Crawfordsville is in a stretch of seven games in nine days. They have non-conference games on Thursday, Friday and Saturday before facing Western Boone next week.
The Mounties aren’t that busy, with a Friday road game in front of conference action against Greencastle next week.
