JC baseball wins 20th, hits 50th (05/19/08)

After Colton Lombardo hit a two-run home run in the second inning Saturday, public address announcer Max Ludy told the fans every batter in the Patriot order had hit a home run this season.

He was wrong, but not for long.

Just two innings later senior leadoff hitter Luke Goetz went deep with a two-run shot for his first home run of the year, making him the ninth player on the team to hit one out of the park this year.

Goetz's blast highlighted a seven-homer opening game for host Jay County, the seventh-ranked team in Class 4A, at the Patriot Invitational. Billy Wellman, who hit three home runs on the day, tossed a 13-0 shutout against the Alexandria Tigers and then saved a 6-5 victory over the West Vigo Vikings in the championship game.

The pair of wins pushed the Patriots to 20-2 on the season, and Wellman's third home run of the day in the title game was their 50th of the year.

"The first game, actually both games, were impressive," said JCHS coach Lea Selvey. "The bats came through at the right time. We came through and beat a very good West Vigo team. We had to pull some things we haven't pulled before."

Those moves came against West Vigo (14-5), which had the Patriots trailing 4-3 after tagging Michael Jobe for two runs in the fourth inning. Trey Dunn came on in relief to strand a pair of runners, and then tossed a one-two-three fifth inning.

JCHS reclaimed a 6-4 lead, but in the sixth the Vikings got to Dunn thanks to a walk, an error and a bunt single. Another walk brought home a run for West Vigo, and Selvey turned to Wellman, the game-one pitcher, to try to get out of the jam.

Wellman delivered, inducing a fly ball from leadoff hitter Drew Aff, striking out Jordan Pearson and getting a ground ball from Cameron Fagg to end the inning.

He gave up a leadoff double to Jered Hauer in the seventh inning, and Hauer advanced to third on a ground out. With two outs, the game on the line and a runner at third base, Brodey McCalister hit a sharp shot back up the middle. Most of the time it would have gotten through for a base hit, but Wellman was able to get a glove on it and it deflected directly to shortstop Thomas McCowan who made the play to end the game.

"He did all he could," said West Vigo coach Stephen DeGroote of McCalister. "We had chances to score before with some awfully good hitters up and just didn't get it done. That'll happen.

"We did a lot of good things. We had the battle and the hustle and everything else to take us a long way."

Wellman's relief effort came after a dominant display on the mound in the opening win over Alexandria. He struck out 13 batters in five innings, giving up just two hits - both to leadoff man Zach Yeagy.

"He gets better every time out," said Selvey. "I think he was better against (West Vigo) than he was this morning (against Alexandria). He just gets better, more and more confident. The kid is very good ... He's starting to realize it, and we're realizing it."

He was good at the plate as well as it was his two-run home run with two outs in the fifth inning that gave the Patriots the lead for good. He finished 2-for-3 with a double and three RBIs in the second game.

Thomas McCowan drove in two runs, and Josh Ludy scored twice.

Dunn got the win, giving up one unearned run on a hit and two walks in 1 2/3 innings.

"Trey Dunn did an outstanding job coming in," said Selvey. "He got them back on their heels and got some ground balls for us. And then Billy came in and we got out of an inning with bases loaded and no outs with just one run. I thought that was crucial.

"(The Vikings) are as good as anybody in our sectional. They're a very well-coached team. They don't hurt themsleves. They're a good ball club. I think playing these kind of games and then also knowing you can win these kind of games is important."

There was no doubt that the Patriots were going to win the first game. The only real question was whether Alexandria would ever be able to escape the fourth inning.

Each of the first eight JCHS batters in the frame reached base, with Goetz, Jobe and Ludy blasting back-to-back-to-back home runs. Wellman's second home run in as many innings capped a run of six Patriots homers in a span of 11 at bats.

They scored seven times in the fourth inning before the Tigers recorded an out.

Wellman finished with four RBIs, and Goetz, Jobe, Ludy and McCowan each had two hits. Trey Dunn drove in three runs, and Ludy, McCowan and Dunn each scored twice.

For the year, the Patriots have gotten a school-record 14 home runs from Jobe. Wellman has 11 home runs, one short of the record mark prior to this season, followed by Ludy (eight), McCowan (six), Powell (six), Dunn (two), Lombardo (one), Goetz (one) and Nick Pryor (one).

"You know what's funny about that, is a concern that I really do have is that we go into sectional it's a little bigger park. I'll take home runs all day, I'll never turn home runs down. But I thought what we needed to do was get back to hitting some line drives and bunch some hits together and not rely on the long ball," said Selvey. "So what do they do? They come out and hit three in a row. But I'll take it."

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