Bruins thump Jay in rematch (06/01/04)

TIPTON — The nation celebrated Memorial Day Monday. But it was a day the Jay County baseball team would rather forget.

The Patriots gave up five unearned runs and walked eight batters — including walking in the game-ending run — as they lost the sectional opener at Tipton 12-2 in five innings to the Class 3A No. 6 Blackford Bruins.

The game was tied at 2-2 after three innings, but Blackford posted three unearned runs in the fourth and took advantage of six fifth-inning walks to end it.

“In the fourth inning we had a chance to get out of the inning and we had an error,” said Jay County coach Lea Selvey. “The flood gates opened.”

The Patriots (17-10-1) handed the then-No. 1 Bruins one of their four losses, knocking them off by an 8-5 score May 12. Blackford coach Chris Landis said he wouldn’t have minded an easier sectional draw, but he and his team were looking forward to a rematch.

“The night we came over there I don’t think we could have done much more wrong,” he said. “We had five or six hits, made three or four errors. We did not mentally come to play that night. When we come to play we can compete with anybody. That night we just weren’t there. We actually were hoping for another chance to play Jay County to prove that were weren’t there that night.

“We respected Jay County, but of the games we lost this year that was one that we thought we just didn’t come to play that night. The team was really looking forward to playing them again.”

Blackford advances to play in the semifinals at Tipton today against the Delta Eagles. Delta (14-12) also rolled in the first round with a 13-1 win over the host Blue Devils (3-25).

The first four runs of the game Monday were unearned as Jay County grabbed a 1-0 lead in the top of the second only to have the Bruins (23-4) score twice in the bottom. The Patriots tied it with a run in the top of the third before falling apart.

Patriot starter Chad Keen walked A.J. Coffee to open the fourth inning, but he looked to be in good shape as he struck out Michael Dalton and got Dustin Garmon to ground to third baseman Cory Locke. He went to a 0-2 count against No. 8 hitter Jesse Fennel, and Selvey called for the intentional walk.

With runners on first and second Travis Roush bunted, and Keen’s throw went high over first baseman Mike Smith’s head to allow Coffee to score. Keen then hit Sam Bonvillian with a pitch to load the bases for Mark Isenberg.

Isenberg made him pay with a two-run single to center field for a 5-2 lead.

Keen (3-3) escaped the inning after that, but gave up a walk to Bo Ely and a double to Coffee to start the fifth before being pulled. Josh Atkinson didn’t have much better luck as he faced nine batters and allowed three hits, including a three-run double to Sam Bonvillian, and four walks.

Josh Shatto came in with the bases loaded and an 11-2 score in the fifth and walked Michael Dalton to bring in Jarrod Gephart with the game-ending run.

Keen took the loss, allowing seven runs — two earned — on four hits in four-plus innings. He walked three and struck out one.

“I think they just compounded one another,” said Selvey of the errors and walks. “They were going to bunt and we knew that. We probably played in more than we had played in on anybody all year long. And with the wind we could really play in today. We fielded the ball, but then we’d end up throwing it (away). We didn’t execute all day and it snowballed.”

Blackford took advantage of the Patriot miscues, but also did little things to push runs across the plate. Adjusting there swing-away style because of a blasting wind, the Bruins bunted for one hit and had two of their other bunt tries end in Jay County errors.

Bonvillian finished with three RBIs and a run, and Jesse Fennel added a double, two RBIs and two runs. Travis Roush had two runs, an RBI and a steal, and Mark Isenberg drove in a couple of runs.

“We had a bunting scrimmage last Friday,” said Landis. “We were allowed to do nothing but bunt and slap. Today it just paid off tremendously.”

“We could tell right off the bat when a fly ball ends up at third base we were going to have to play small ball. I usually don’t like to do that, but today we had to do it and the kids executed.”

Fennel gave the Bruins a solid effort on the hill, allowing just two unearned runs on three hits in five innings. He struck out five and walked one as he improved to 11-1 on the season.

Two of Jay County’s three hits came from senior leadoff man Heath Williams. Williams also scored a run as Trent Bailey drove him in with the only other hit of the day.

Smith stole a base and scored once, and Mike Alberson had an RBI.

“Obviously this was a disappointing end to the season,” said Selvey. “But, it was also a season where they accomplished a lot with 17 wins and a share of the (Olympic Athletic) Conference (title).

“I’m proud of these kids. We’re a pretty young team and we’ll be back.”[[In-content Ad]]