Patriots miss chance in loss

After an unearned run broke a scoreless tie in the fifth inning, coach Lea Selvey gathered his players. He reminded them they were going to need to score at least once to win anyway, so a one-run deficit was not the end of the world.
But that run never came.
Jay County High School’s baseball team left eight runners on base, including seven in scoring position, as it fell 1-0 Saturday to visiting Class 3A No. 10 Heritage.
The homestanding Patriots had a variety of chances to score, but Heritage pitcher Andrew Saalfrank ended five of the seven innings with strikeouts to help end those threats.
“We had opportunities,” said Selvey. “If we can continue to play like that, we’re going to win our share of games still. (Saalfrank), he’s good. He’s a sophomore and he’s already got major DI teams looking at him. And we had opportunities. … You’ve just got to put the ball in play.
Heritage (15-4) posted the only run of the battle of soon-to-be Allen County Athletic Conference rivals after senior Collin Evans led off the top of the fifth inning with a single to left field.
A throwing error allowed Saalfrank to reach base and Evans to advance to third, and then courtesy runner Robert Ottenweller stole second.
Wesley Hibbard of JCHS bounced back to strike out Jacob Bosler for the first out of the inning, but No. 9 hitter Austin Conrad made sure the same fate would not await him.
Conrad, who had already executed a sacrifice in the third inning, laid a bunt down on the right side of the infield to allow Evans to scamper home.
“He’s been doing that all year long,” said Heritage coach Dean Lehrman. “He’s just kind of taken it upon himself to put the ball down without even a bunt sign. He’s the fastest kid in our program. He did a nice job.”
Jay County (7-9) went down in order in the bottom of the frame, but got in position to tie or take the lead in the sixth.
Keenan James delivered a two-out double to left field, and Tanner Reynolds reached base when the third strike against him escaped catcher Nathan Roop and skipped to the backstop.
Chandler Jacks walked to load the bases, but Saalfrank escaped the threat with a strikeout.
JCHS went down in order again in the seventh inning as Heritage escaped with the tight victory.
The home team also had a runner at second with two outs in the first inning, the bases loaded with one out in the third and runners on first and runners at second and third with one out in the fourth, but was unable to score each time.
The lack of offense negated a sparkling pitching effort from Hibbard, who allowed just two Heritage hits while he and his teammates notched four against Saalfrank. He struck out seven batters and walked four.
“He did a fantastic job for us,” said Selvey of Hibbard. “He gave us a chance to win. That’s all I ask of my pitchers, just give us a chance to win. He played really well, pitched well.
Saalfrank, a sophomore left-hander, also issued four walks, but took the pressure off his defense with 12 strikeouts.
“I think he’s probably the best pitcher we’ve seen this year, and being left-handed too that fools them a little bit, that late break,” Selvey said.
Saalfrank also helped himself out in the sixth inning, ranging off the mound toward third base and firing back to first to deny Jason Houston an infield hit.
The play marked the second out of the inning and preceded the James double that could have scored Houston with the tying run if not for the defensive gem.
Cole Geradot, who will play at the University of St. Francis next season, made a key defensive play of his own in the first inning, tracking down a grounder up the middle to take a hit away from Kyle Selvey.
“He helped himself there. Saalfrank made a web gem of a play,” said Lehrman. “And Cole’s been our captain, our leader, for the past two years. He’s going on to play ball at the next level, so I would expect no less out of him.”

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