Indian Creek sweeps Harrison Central in matchup of ranked teams

Indian Creek, the No. 1-ranked team in Division III, put an exclamation point on its ranking last week. Not only did it lay claim to its spot in the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association poll, but it did so in convincing fashion. The Redskins (11-0) swept the highly anticipated two-game set against Harrison Central (ranked No. 4 in Division V), outscoring the Huskies 15-1 in the process.

First came a 10-0 blanking in Mingo Junction at the John Ruth Recreational Complex last Wednesday. Sylus Hyde cooked up a little bit of everything from the mound, striking out six for the Redskins in the series opener. The icing on top landed heavily last Friday at Mazeroski Field, in a game televised live on WTOV9 that saw the Redskins use a three-run first inning to cruise to a 5-1 victory.

“Indian Creek is a very good baseball team, you have to give credit to them,” coach Mike Valesko said. “We didn’t play our cleanest, and they are a team that doesn’t make mistakes. They will be one of the most complete teams we see this season. We must take advantage of our opportunities in big games. Against teams like Creek, you’re only going to get a few. We’ll continue working on the details to ensure that we are getting better as the season progresses.”

Across the two games, the Huskies certainly had their chances. On the road, Harrison (11-3) had runners at second and third on three different occasions, never getting the big hit to score. The two teams were scoreless through two innings, two frames in which the Huskies stranded a total of four baserunners. The door was open; the Huskies simply could not walk through it early.

Starting in the third, the Redskins flexed their muscle, taking advantage at the plate to get ahead in every at-bat, forcing the Huskies defense into an off-schedule strategy. In each of the first five innings, the leadoff batter reached base for Creek. In the third, the floodgates finally broke. Three runs in each of the next three innings pushed the Redskins out to a 9-0 lead. The finishing touches came in the sixth to shorten the game by an inning with a 10-0 final in six. The Redskins outhit the Huskies 9-5 while also taking advantage of two untimely errors to gain their early lead.

The Huskies mixed in a victory over Beaver Local last Thursday before the Redskins visited Mazeroski Field in Cadiz on Friday night. The vibes were high, the weather was on point, the bleachers were full and the TV cameras were locked in. It was the closest stage to getting a Friday Night Lights-type feeling in the spring months. However, that atmosphere quickly turned on the Huskies, as the Redskins plated three in the top half of the first inning. Creek added a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to firmly take control of the rematch. It was not until the sixth that a Hunter Snyder single scored sophomore classmate Kolton Mizer. It would be the only offense the Huskies would find in the 5-1 finish.

To get back on track, the Huskies swept a doubleheader against Bellaire last Saturday. Freshman Colson Crothers picked up the victory on the mound in the first game, an 11-5 tally. In the second game, sophomore Zayden Warrington earned the pitching victory in a 14-1 five-inning final.