Caldwell comes through

Having already hit a walk-off home run this season Blake Caldwell had a chance to end the game with one swing in the bottom of the eighth inning.

But he struck out.

After shutting down the Raiders for three frames, he got another opportunity in the home half of the 10th.

This time he came through.

Caldwell hit a walk-off single to score Sam Myers from second base in lifting the Jay County High School baseball team to a 5-4 victory over the Shenandoah Raiders in 10 innings on Wednesday at Don E. Selvey Field.

“Not as exciting as the first one,” said Caldwell, who blasted a walk-off home run in an upset win over Class 2A No. 1 Monroe Central on April 26. “A little less boring, but I’m so glad we got the win.

“Made a decent amount of errors today. Got to clean it up a little bit, but I’m so proud of my guys again.”

The win propels Jay County, which hosts Allen County Athletic Conference rival Bluffton on Thursday, to 6-4 on the season.

After leaving runners at the corners in the bottom of the ninth, Jay County was patient at the plate in the 10th as Sam Myers and Crosby Heniser drew back-to-back walks with one out.

Caldwell, who singled in a run during the first inning and was 1-for-4 up to that point, jumped on the second pitch from Shenandoah reliever Carson Brookbank. Caldwell ripped a 1-0 offering up the middle. Myers never stopped running from second base and scored as the throw from center was off the mark.

The Patriots then mobbed Caldwell and piled on top of him in the infield grass on the third base side of second.

“He’s had a day,” said JCHS coach Lea Selvey. “He looked really good. He said he was feeling good. A lot of times we’re careful with him because of his back (injury).

“He gave us a huge shot in the arm and the big hit at the end. It was a good day for him.”

Jay County saw its 3-1 lead vanish in the top of the sixth as the Raiders (6-10) struck for three runs, highlighted by a two-run double to deep right center by Wyatt Lowder.

The Raiders threatened again in the top of the seventh with runners on first and second, but JCHS reliever Austin Curts got a strikeout to end the threat.

Down to what could have been their final three outs, the Patriots forced extra innings by tying the game in the bottom of the seventh. Josh Dowlen got hit by a pitch and stole second, then scored on an error off the bat of Dusty Pearson.

But Caldwell took to the mound to start the eighth and never gave the Raiders much of a chance. He fanned the first batter he faced, but a dropped third strike allowed the runner to reach base. Then an error on a sacrifice bunt gave the Raiders runners at the corners.

Rolling over to the top of the order, Caldwell recorded three consecutive strikeouts to get out of the jam. He struck out a pair in the ninth, and allowed a baserunner on an error in the 10th but no other runner got in scoring position.

Caldwell wanted to put the team on his shoulders, and coach obliged.

“I asked him for the ball,” Caldwell said. “I was feeling good. I could control my curveball pretty well in the bullpen. I had my changeup down. Fastball was feeling good.

In three innings of relief, he struck out seven batters, including four in the eighth, without issuing a hit or a walk.

“To do what I did today, it was a lot of fun,” he said. “It was special. I just felt untouchable up there.”

Offensively Caldwell ended with two hits and two RBIs, while Quinn Faulkner, Heniser and Pearson all had singles. Heniser knocked in a run as part of a two-run third inning that gave Jay County a 3-1 advantage.

Together with starter Sam Dunlavy, Patriot pitchers allowed just three hits and one walk. Dunlavy, however, hit five Raider batters

“Proud of the kids, they battled back,” Selvey said. “That’s important to me that they did that.”