July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Chad Keen is a no-hit machine (05/06/05)
JCHS baseball
Chad Keen is a no-hit machine (05/06/05)
By By RAY COONEY-
FORT RECOVERY — He didn’t have the baggy pants or the flat top, but as Chad Keen reached the dugout after the third inning he did a brief M.C. Hammer impression.
His song of choice? — “U Can’t Touch This.” Ten straight innings of no-hit ball breeds that kind of confidence.
And Keen didn’t stop there. The Jay County senior kept his streak going through the next four innings, throwing his second consecutive no-hitter in a 6-0 win Thursday over the Fort Recovery Indians.
“I’m just overwhelmed,” said Keen, who also no-hit Muncie Southside Saturday. “I can’t believe it’s happened two times in a row — no-hitters. I just felt really good today.”
Keen was dominant throughout, striking out the side in both the first and third innings. He had two strikeouts in every other frame for a total of 16, marking the third time this year he has totaled 15 strikeouts or more.
He allowed a batter — Fort Recovery senior Greg Faller — to reach base just twice. Faller walked in the first inning and was hit by a pitch in the seventh.
The no-hitter was also threatened only twice. The Tribe’s first chance came in the fifth inning when Dusty Tobe hit a high bouncer toward the gap between shortstop and third base. But, third baseman Eric Somers slid to his left, grabbed the ball on a high hop and threw out Tobe by a couple of steps.
Brad Fortkamp then put down a bunt as the Indians attempted to get something going with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Again the Jay County defense responded as freshman catcher Joshua Ludy hopped out of his stance to grab the ball and throw out Fortkamp.
In the seventh, Keen struck out Clint Tobe, hit Faller with a pitch and struck out Dusty Guggenbiller. With two outs he got Dusty Tobe to pop out to first baseman Andy Hughes in foul territory to complete the back-to-back no-no.
“I just think I’m throwing the ball hard and consistent,” Keen said. “I’m not walking people and I’m throwing strikes. If you throw strikes, good things happen.”
Fort Recovery coach Aaron Vaughn said his team needs to learn to start swinging at those strikes instead of getting behind in the count as it so often did against Keen. In the last three games the Indians (10-11) have been no-hit twice — against Jay County (6-7) and Marion Local — and had just one hit in a 1-0 loss to Delphos St. Johns.
“That was a great pitcher,” said Vaughn of Keen. “You just have to keep practicing. We have to learn to get some hits off these pitchers.”
Tribe starter Clint Tobe got off to a good start on the mound as well, matching Keen’s no-hit effort for 22/3 innings. But the Patriots figured the freshman out after Andy Hughes broke through with a two-out double in the third inning.
Trent Bailey made it back-to-back doubles, slamming a shot to center field to bring pinch runner Travis Towell to the plate for a 1-0 Jay County lead. Tobe escaped the inning without further damage, but was not so lucky in the fourth.
Keen helped his own cause with a leadoff single and then stole second base. Eric Somers knocked him in for a 2-0 lead two batters later with a single to left-center field.
Ludy then put the game firmly in the Patriots’ control. The freshman, who homered in his first varsity at-bat earlier this year, bashed a home run over the 336 mark in left-center.
Jay County coach Lea Selvey had high praise for Ludy on both sides of the ball.
“He handled (the bunt) just like he had to,” Selvey said. “He did exactly what he had to do. For a freshman to do that in a stressful situation (was great).
“Plus, he had a pretty good night at the plate.”
Jay County added two more runs in the fifth inning after Hughes singled and Casey Waters reached base on an error. John Retter brought them both in with a two-out, two-run single.
Clint Tobe took the defeat for the Indians, who will play New Bremen in Midwest Athletic Conference play tonight and again in the sectional tournament at Minster Saturday. He gave up six runs — four earned — on seven hits in 42/3 innings. He struck out five batters.
Fort wins JV
Fort Recovery won the junior varsity half of its double-header against Jay County Thursday night, 4-2.
The Indians (4-10) trailed 2-0 after Jay County posted two fourth-inning runs. But, the home team scored twice in the fifth to tie it and twice in the sixth for the final margin.
Jordan Staugler paced Fort Recovery, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and three RBIs. Troy Metzger had two hits, including a double, and Scott Hein scored two runs.
Kevin Schoenherr picked up the win as he allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one in seven innings.
Michael Jobe took the loss for the Patriots (8-5) as he gave up four runs on three hits in five-plus innings. He struck out seven and walked five.
Luke Goetz went 1-for-3 with a double.[[In-content Ad]]
His song of choice? — “U Can’t Touch This.” Ten straight innings of no-hit ball breeds that kind of confidence.
And Keen didn’t stop there. The Jay County senior kept his streak going through the next four innings, throwing his second consecutive no-hitter in a 6-0 win Thursday over the Fort Recovery Indians.
“I’m just overwhelmed,” said Keen, who also no-hit Muncie Southside Saturday. “I can’t believe it’s happened two times in a row — no-hitters. I just felt really good today.”
Keen was dominant throughout, striking out the side in both the first and third innings. He had two strikeouts in every other frame for a total of 16, marking the third time this year he has totaled 15 strikeouts or more.
He allowed a batter — Fort Recovery senior Greg Faller — to reach base just twice. Faller walked in the first inning and was hit by a pitch in the seventh.
The no-hitter was also threatened only twice. The Tribe’s first chance came in the fifth inning when Dusty Tobe hit a high bouncer toward the gap between shortstop and third base. But, third baseman Eric Somers slid to his left, grabbed the ball on a high hop and threw out Tobe by a couple of steps.
Brad Fortkamp then put down a bunt as the Indians attempted to get something going with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Again the Jay County defense responded as freshman catcher Joshua Ludy hopped out of his stance to grab the ball and throw out Fortkamp.
In the seventh, Keen struck out Clint Tobe, hit Faller with a pitch and struck out Dusty Guggenbiller. With two outs he got Dusty Tobe to pop out to first baseman Andy Hughes in foul territory to complete the back-to-back no-no.
“I just think I’m throwing the ball hard and consistent,” Keen said. “I’m not walking people and I’m throwing strikes. If you throw strikes, good things happen.”
Fort Recovery coach Aaron Vaughn said his team needs to learn to start swinging at those strikes instead of getting behind in the count as it so often did against Keen. In the last three games the Indians (10-11) have been no-hit twice — against Jay County (6-7) and Marion Local — and had just one hit in a 1-0 loss to Delphos St. Johns.
“That was a great pitcher,” said Vaughn of Keen. “You just have to keep practicing. We have to learn to get some hits off these pitchers.”
Tribe starter Clint Tobe got off to a good start on the mound as well, matching Keen’s no-hit effort for 22/3 innings. But the Patriots figured the freshman out after Andy Hughes broke through with a two-out double in the third inning.
Trent Bailey made it back-to-back doubles, slamming a shot to center field to bring pinch runner Travis Towell to the plate for a 1-0 Jay County lead. Tobe escaped the inning without further damage, but was not so lucky in the fourth.
Keen helped his own cause with a leadoff single and then stole second base. Eric Somers knocked him in for a 2-0 lead two batters later with a single to left-center field.
Ludy then put the game firmly in the Patriots’ control. The freshman, who homered in his first varsity at-bat earlier this year, bashed a home run over the 336 mark in left-center.
Jay County coach Lea Selvey had high praise for Ludy on both sides of the ball.
“He handled (the bunt) just like he had to,” Selvey said. “He did exactly what he had to do. For a freshman to do that in a stressful situation (was great).
“Plus, he had a pretty good night at the plate.”
Jay County added two more runs in the fifth inning after Hughes singled and Casey Waters reached base on an error. John Retter brought them both in with a two-out, two-run single.
Clint Tobe took the defeat for the Indians, who will play New Bremen in Midwest Athletic Conference play tonight and again in the sectional tournament at Minster Saturday. He gave up six runs — four earned — on seven hits in 42/3 innings. He struck out five batters.
Fort wins JV
Fort Recovery won the junior varsity half of its double-header against Jay County Thursday night, 4-2.
The Indians (4-10) trailed 2-0 after Jay County posted two fourth-inning runs. But, the home team scored twice in the fifth to tie it and twice in the sixth for the final margin.
Jordan Staugler paced Fort Recovery, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a run and three RBIs. Troy Metzger had two hits, including a double, and Scott Hein scored two runs.
Kevin Schoenherr picked up the win as he allowed two runs on five hits. He struck out seven and walked one in seven innings.
Michael Jobe took the loss for the Patriots (8-5) as he gave up four runs on three hits in five-plus innings. He struck out seven and walked five.
Luke Goetz went 1-for-3 with a double.[[In-content Ad]]
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