July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Jay rallies in game 2

JCHS baseball
Jay rallies in game 2
Jay rallies in game 2

By RAY COONEY
President, editor and publisher

Several base-running mistakes and general offensive futility had Lea Selvey fuming a couple of innings into the second game of Saturday's double-header. But his team was able to turn its luck around.

After going two-and-a-half games without a run, the Jay County High School baseball team turned in a seven-run outburst to take game two of its double-header 7-4 over the Connersville Spartans. The Patriots lost the opener 7-0.

"We didn't hit well in the first game," said Selvey, whose team had also been shut out Thursday by Wapahani. "And then we did some silly things on the base paths, and then that kind of carried over into the second game a little bit.

"But I give the kids credit, they hung in there ... and got themselves out of it. They pulled it out there, had one big inning and then held on. ... I'm proud of their effort."

After going scoreless for the first three innings of game two against Connersville (3-5, 1-1 Olympic Athletic Conference) and falling behind on solo home runs by John Sizemore and Zack Hufferd, the Patriots finally broke through in the fourth. Keyed by a leadoff double from Michael Masters and singles by Jon Pettus and Eric Homan, they posted two runs to pull even.

In the fifth inning Jay County (3-2, 1-1 OAC) took advantage of some free bases to grab control of the game.

Michael Daniels led off the frame with a single to right field, and Nathan Brown followed with a walk. Ben Vance drove them both in with a single to left field, and Masters and Willie Mayfield loaded the bases with back-to-back walks.

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Connersville relief pitcher Devin Tomlin hit Pettus with a pitch to bring Vance home with a run, and Chance Fuller walked to score Masters, and Ryan Miskinis drove in Pettus with a fielder's choice.

"We did a get a couple of walks ... and that opened the door a little bit for us," said Selvey. "They helped us and we took advantage of it."

Homan and Masters each had two hits in the victory, and Pettus drove in two runs and scored twice.

After using three pitchers in the opening game, Masters came through to go the distance in game two.

He gave up just three hits in the first five innings before struggling a bit in the final two frames. Connersville had the bases loaded in the seventh inning, but Masters was able to get the final two outs to earn the victory.

He allowed four runs - three earned - on five hits and six walks.

"Mike Masters probably didn't have his best stuff, but he battled," said Selvey. "He wants to go the distance. He doesn't want to come out."

The Jay County defense also made some big plays behind Masters, with Mayfield, the first baseman, turning in a pair of diving grabs on line drives and nearly making another spectacular catch on a pop up in foul ground down the right field line.

Miskinis made consecutive key plays at third base in the sixth, using his body to stop a grounder after a bad hop and throwing out Tomlin, and then ranging to his right to scoop a ground ball and firing back across his body to get Trae Neukam at first base.

"Our defense came through," said Selvey, who also got a double play from Eric Homan on an outfield assist in the opener. "That one inning Miskinis made two gutsy plays down at third.

"If there is a better first baseman around (than Mayfield) ... I've not seen him. That kid is phenomenal down there."

Jay County gave up six runs in the opening two innings of the first game and was unable to get anything going offensively. It managed just two hits - one each by Brown and Homan - as it got shut out for the second straight game.

Connersville's Michael Newton went the distance against the Patriots, striking out three and walking three.

"Those two haven't lost a lot of games in the last two years," said Selvey of Newton and the Wapahani starter JCHS faced Thursday. "I don't want to say it was all us. Those were two pretty decent pitchers."

Newton also had two hits and a run to lead the Spartans' offense, and Hufferd doubled and drove in two runs.

Junior varsity

CONNERSVILLE - Jay County earned a split, taking game two 16-10 after falling 17-14 in the opener.

Alex Dunn led the Patriots to the victory, going 3-for-5 with a double, four runs and two RBIs. Brandon Ferner was a perfect 4-for-4 with three RBIs, and Calvin Wyatt went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and two runs.

Devin Conatser had three hits, three RBIs and two runs in the opener, and Brandon Ferner notched two doubles and two runs.

Jordan McBride earned the victory while Landry Inman suffered the game-one defeat.[[In-content Ad]]
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