Strasburg, New Philadelphia seasons end in regional play

With a trip to the state final four on the line, Strasburg-Franklin’s offense hit a wall. The Tigers could not find a way to score and lost a heart-breaking, nail-biting 1-0 decision in 12 innings at Ohio University’s Wren Stadium.

Bradyen Barnard’s two-out RBI single with two outs in the 12^th, just out of reach of Tigers’ shortstop Drew Lancaster, scored Cole Bennett from second base for the game’s only run. Barnard, the Jeeps’ No. 9 hitter, stroked a line single on a 2-2 pitch and Bennett scored easily.

The Tigers, who scored 12 times in their previous game, a regional semifinal shootout, this time found themselves unable to string anything together. Strasburg had two runners on with one out in the top of the 12^th, but Jacob McGraw, who came on in relief with one out, got a strikeout and erased a runner on a rundown that started with a pick-off attempt at second to end the threat. Easton Large pitched into the 12^th inning for the Jeeps, striking out 10.

Matching Large pitch for pitch was Tigers sophomore Brody Baughman, who worked the entire game, throwing 110 pitches. He allowed just seven hits and one walk, struck out two and hit a pair while his defense was solid behind him with two errors that did not come into play.

The Tigers, who won a Inter-Valley Conference championship this fall, finished 22-8. The Jeeps, who finished tied for fourth place in the Southern Ohio Conference, took a 21-10 record to the state final four.

In the regional semifinal round on June 3, the Tigers won a slugfest with Franklin Furnace Green 12-8, also at OU. Strasburg-Franklin overcame a seven-run second inning that gave Green a 7-1 lead. The Tigers scored in every inning after that, tying the score with a run in the fifth, taking the lead with two more in the sixth and tacking on three insurance runs in the seventh.

Junior Brodie Hurst led the Tigers’ attack with three hits, including a triple, and five runs batted in. Baughman also had three hits, scored twice and drove in a run. Senior Caden Dugan, junior Tanner Tucker and Lancaster all had a pair of hits. Lancaster’s included a triple as he scored four times and drove in a pair. Dugan scored three times.

Lancaster settled down after the second to get the win. He worked the first six innings, allowing eight runs, seven earned, on eight hits. He struckout eight and walked two. Baughman worked a scoreless ninth.

Division III: New Philadelphia also had its season ended with a shutout, falling 3-0 to London at Paints Stadium in Chillicothe regional semifinal on June 3. Colin Nickel threw a complete game shutout for London.

New Philadelphia senior right-hander Owen Courtney was nearly Nickel’s equal, other then two brief rallies by the Red Raiders. In the top of the fourth Eli Noble’s opposite-field single to right got things going for the Raiders, snapping a streak of nine consecutive betters retired by Courtney. Brayden Collins followed with a grounder through the right side for another base hit, which sent Noble to third. Collins, who never slowed down, want to third on the throw.

Braxton Brown lined a single up the middle on the next pitch to score a pair.

Braylon McBride’s long one-out triple in the sixth gave the Quakers a chance to cut into the margin but Nickle retired the final two batters on a popup and groundout to end the threat. Nickel’s bloop RBI double to left plated London’s other run.

Braylon McBride got out of a bases-loaded one-out situation to keep the score 3-0, striking out the final two batters. Tanner Ulmer’s infield single – he went to second on a throwing error – started the seventh for the Quakers, but that was all they could muster, as Nickle went the distance.

New Philadelphia, which was trying to add to its Ohio Cardinal Conference championship season, finished 21-5. London, one of just two public schools in the Division III regional finals, fell to Columbus Bishop Watterson 5-0 in the regional final and finished 19-7.