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HC Baseball team headed to State Tournament
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from Page 1 later, the Wheelersburg Pirates were leading 7-0, the Huskies were working through their third pitcher of the day, and it was only the second inning.
To sum it up, it was very much looking like the 2023 season was going to come to a bittersweet end for Head Coach Mike Valesko and his Harrison Central squad. However, Valesko seemed to have been channeling his inner Yogi Berra. The late great Berra once famously declared, “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over,” and while Valesko’s continued message in the dugout of “let’s play to 21 outs,” sounds different. It means the exact same thing.
The Huskies heeded the message, and played with fearless determination down to the very last pitch. A pitch that Wheelersburg sent down the third base side to senior third baseman Jace Madzia. Mere seconds later, senior Cabot Arbaugh was sprinting from first base to the dogpile celebration left of the pitcher’s mound. The Huskies had done the unthinkable, they overcame the 7-0 shortfall to shock the Pirates in an 8-7 instant-classic.
The postgame pandemonium was a far cry from the bleak scene in the first inning. The Pirates jumped out to a 6-0 lead after the first inning, and posted another for good measure in the second. Early pitching struggles led to three hits, five walks, and another free pass by way of a hit-by-pitch at bat. Wheelersburg (238) worked through their entire lineup once over, and sent a third of the lineup to the plate for a second time, all in the first inning.
After two pitching changes, sophomore Tucker Snyder finally found calm waters for the Harrison County crew. Snyder labored the Huskies out of the first and onward through to the seventh. Snyder hauled a bulk of the day’s load, having tossed 6.1 innings. He faced 26 batters, struck out three, but most importantly he kept the Pirates off the scoreboard aside from a lone two-out run in the second. With the Pirates held scoreless after the second inning, the Huskies offense had five innings to embark on their mountainous climb back into the ballgame. The Huskies completely ignored the fact that the Pirates had scored all seven of their runs with two outs and simply got to work.
In the third, the Huskies pumped some life into the stadium when they posted two runs in the top half. Sophomore Kayden Dunkle worked a six-pitch walk to get the frame underway. Senior Treston Nemeth then sent a double to the grass to advance Dunkle over to third. Snyder helped his own cause from the batter’s box, grounding into a fielder’s choice to score Dunkle and put the Huskies on the board. Madzia then picked up an RBI with a rope to center that scored Nemeth.
Two more runs followed in the fifth, as Nemeth led off the inning with a single through the infield to centerfield.
Madzia stood firm in his at-bat and wore a pitch to earn a free pass to first, and then with two outs an Anthony Pelegreen single plated Nemeth from second. Senior Cabot Arbaugh proceeded to push a single to left that scored Madzia. It was about this time that you could hear Valesko barking to his guys in the dugout, “keep posting zeros, we are going to win this baseball game, we are going to win this baseball game.”
If they didn’t believe him after the fifth, they certainly did after the sixth. Three consecutive at bats landed Huskies on the bags to open up the top half. Senior Kaden Jurosko singled, Colten Rutter was struck by a pitch in the very next at-bat, then Nemeth did what he does, singling now changed from chasing the lead to protecting it. Snyder did the job, blanking the Pirates in the sixth. He was even able to retire one in the seventh. But the Pirates were growing more confident in the box after two singles to open up the seventh. to left to score Jurosko.
Trailing just 7-5 now with one out, Madzia was hit by a pitch yet again to load the bases. A wild pitch crossed Dunkle, who had re-entered the game to pinch run for Rutter. Now it was 7-6 and freshman Braden Cook, who just hit the varsity card midway through the season, was stepping in the box with two runners in scoring position.
Not a veteran player? Not a problem. Cook cruised a long two-RBI single down the leftfield line, scoring Nemeth to tie the game, with a headfirst-diving Madzia just strides behind him to take the lead.
The task at hand had
For those not following along this postseason, Kaden Jurosko hadn’t pitched since the first inning of the opening round game back in midMay due to an injury. With two on and only one out, it was decision time for Valesko during a longer-than-normal mound visit. The ball went to Jurosko, and moments later Valesko’s call went into Harrison Central’s book of all-time coaching decisions. Jurosko took command in relief when his team needed him most. He fanned one, then forced a groundout to end the game.
The message is clear as the Huskies head for Canal Park in Akron. If you’re fishing for a hero in this tournament run, you’d better bring a rather large net.
Griffin makes hole in one
On Wednesday May 31, the Play of the Day for the Cadiz Women’s Golf League was N.O.S.E., and the hostesses were Kathy Smith and Donna Griffin.
The first-place winner was Carole Patton, and there was a tie for second place between Sandy Terek and Donna Griffin. Putt winners were: A Flight -Tracy Amos; B Flight - Judy Crawshaw; and C Flight - Pat Stewart.
Tracy Amos, Brenda Hartley, Paula Hope and Marilyn Kenny had birdies, while Joanne Hardman had a chip-in. Donna Griffin had a Hole in One on hole #11.
Next week’s Play of the Day will be a Step Aside Scramble, and the hostesses will be Carole Patton and Judy Crawshaw. Next week will also be the monthly meeting.
