Indians go back-to-back (05/10/07)

MINSTER, Ohio - For the last two regular seasons, the Indians have been average. They have 19 wins, and 19 losses.

But put them in a tournament situation, and they know exactly what to do.

Fort Recovery won its second straight baseball sectional title Wednesday, scoring a 4-1 victory over the second-seeded Marion Local Flyers behind a standout pitching performance from freshman Greg Kahlig.

Kahlig was shaky at the start, but his effort over the final six innings was about as good as it gets.

"I just think I got into a groove after I struggled in the beginning," said Kahlig. "I was kind of nervous. Once I got the nerves out I was pretty good."

Kahlig gave up a line drive single to left to Chris Stucke to lead off the game. Stucke stole second base, then scored on Marcus Moeller's single to center field.

Then the freshman hit No. 3 batter Troy Luebke with a pitch, which brought Fort Recovery coach Aaron Vaughn to the hill. Kahlig responded to the mound meeting by not allowing another runner on base until the sixth inning.

Kahlig retired 15 batters in a row, the last as he came back from a 3-0 count to strike out Marion Local No. 9 hitter Jason Wolters.

"Kahlig really cranked it up and started to hit his stuff," said Marion Local coach Greg Bruns, whose team leaves the tournament with a 14-11 record. "You've got to take your hat off to that young boy. He's a freshman, but it doesn't really matter at this point."

Stucke finally broke the streak with a single, but Kahlig induced a ground ball from Marcus Moeller and second baseman Frank Thien turned a double play to end the inning.

Kurt Homan managed a two-out hit in the seventh before Kahlig finished off the Flyers for his four-hit victory.

"Greg came through with a big game," said FRHS coach Aaron Vaughn of his freshman, who struck out six batters and took advantage of error-free defense behind him. "If Greg gets going and we get through the first couple of innings he gets stronger as he goes. ...

"He did a good job of settling in and getting ahead of hitters. He got the first out of the inning a lot and that got him going on a roll."

After being just two outs away from elimination Saturday, the Tribe will now advance to the Division IV district tournament at Coldwater. It will play the winner of the St. John's/Antwerp game, which was rained out Wednesday, in semifinal action Wednesday, May 16, at 6:45 p.m.

The lights-out pitching from Kahlig over the final six innings gave the Indians (11-9) their chance to recoup their one-run deficit, which they did in the fourth and fifth innings.

Clint Tobe drew a lead-off walk to start the fourth, but Fort Recovery missed an opportunity when Toby Metzger's sacrifice bunt attempt ended up getting Tobe forced out at second. Metzger made up for it by drawing two pick-off throws from Stucke, second of those soared well over first baseman Jake Heitkamp's head allowing Metzger to advance all the way to third base.

A ground out from Troy Metzger left Toby Metzger at third, but Curt Heitkamp turned in his typical at bat. After ripping a line drive just foul down the left field line, he went with the next pitch and sliced it into right field for an RBI single to tie the game.

"Fort Recovery's a nice ball team," said Bruns. "They were able to put the bat on the ball. That's what you need to do. Our pitchers were trying their dangdest ... but walks ended up killing us."

Scott Hein drew one of those walks only to be stranded in the third inning, got on base again to start the fifth

The senior, who scored the game-winning run in Saturday's dramatic comeback win over New Bremen, laid down a perfect bunt down the third base line and beat the throw to first base.

"He's that guy that you don't think about as a DH at the bottom of the lineup, but that is for a purpose," said Vaughn. "He can bunt, he can run, he can hit-and-run ... He does the little things we need him to do. Every game it seems like he ... comes up with something we need. I can't say enough about how much he means to our team and how hard he works."

Leadoff hitter Bobby Rammel followed with a walk, and he and Hein each advanced a base on a wild pitch. After a pop out to short center field by Frank Thien, No. 3 hitter Clint Tobe put the Tribe on top.

Tobe crushed a double at the 343-sign in left-center field, bringing Hein and Rammel to the plate. Troy Metzger added an RBI single two batters later for the 4-1 final margin.

"It felt awesome," said Tobe of his game-winning hit. "It's about time. Coach just told me to get my pitch and there it was."

Tobe also had the game-tying hit - a single to left field - in the Tribe's first tournament game.

"He comes through more than he doesn't," said Vaughn. "That's why we have him in that spot. The two biggest times we needed him to in the tournament, he comes through. ... He's been great."[[In-content Ad]]