Tie game, pitcher’s duel, extra innings, does any of that sound familiar? No, we aren’t talking about Harrison Central’s 2023 tournament run, even though for much of the evening last Monday on the campus at West Muskingum High School it felt like a comfortable place to be for the Huskies. After all, a large part of last year’s march to Akron was contested in similar conditions.
The 2024 Huskies enjoyed a two-run lead through three innings in the first-round tournament opener outside of Zanesville, but it was the fourth inning that had the Harrison faithful reaching for their memories of a year ago. The 9-seed Tornadoes tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth, after an infield dribbler, a bunt, and a wild pitch extended the inning and set the table for an entertaining four innings to come.
The pitchers took over the game from there, as the two teams combined to put just three runners on the base paths through the end of the seventh inning. Sophomore Colten Rutter led that effort for the Huskies, as he pitched the entirety of the nail-biter start to finish. Rutter labored through the 110-pitch marathon, striking out nine before the Tornadoes finally cracked his codes in the bottom of the eighth frame.
Rutter sat the first two batters down in order in the bottom half of the final frame. However, the Tornadoes found the two-out lightning they needed, knocking back-to-back singles into play before a called balk ended the contest in walk-off fashion.
It was a difficult way to end a season that found the Huskies struggling to put all the pieces together at the same time.
Brady Hyre locks in at the plate against (9) West Muskingum in first round play of the East District tournament. The Tornadoes topped the Huskies 3-2 in eight innings. Photo: DJ Watson
“It was definitely an up-and-down year, and we never really found our footing throughout the season. The standard and expectation for our program has been set from the previous teams and the players and coaches that have come through here, and we all full-well understand that we have to improve as a baseball program as players and coaches. We have to take steps forward with next year’s team. I’m really excited about the roster that we’re going to have next season as we return every starter, and we’re bringing in a lot of talent with the freshman class. We lose one senior, Aubrey Wood – who has been a huge piece to our success and our baseball program over the last four years and we’re certainly going to miss her,” stated Head Coach Mike Valesko.
Against the Tornadoes, it was Kayden Dunkle who topped the box score for the Huskies at the plate. Dunkle finished with two singles, and a run scored. Gage Stoneking, Tucker Snyder, and Rutter all turned in a single each. Stoneking grabbed an RBI that scored Rutter in the top of the second frame to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead.
Dating back to 2015, the Huskies and Tornadoes are anything but strangers when it comes to the diamond. Nine years ago, the Tornadoes again topped the Huskies in eight innings, that time in a Sectional Championship bout at Don Coss Stadium in Cambridge. In 2022, the Huskies bested the Muskingum County outfit 6-4 at Mazeroski Field in the first round of the tournament.
Last year, the Huskies opened the regular season with a 3-2 victory over the Tornadoes at Mazeroski Field.
West Muskingum advanced into the Sectional Championship this season to face the 2-seed Tusky Valley Trojans. Tusky Valley advanced with a 7-6 victory. Sandy Valley (3) then dropped the Trojans from tournament play this past Monday night in District semi-final action. Sandy Valley and top-seeded Barnesville will meet for the East District title and a berth into the Division III Sweet 16 Wednesday night.
