July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Jelly leads Jay past Vikings (04/29/03)
JCHS baseball
Jelly leads Jay past Vikings (04/29/03)
By By MICHAEL KITCHEL-
PORTLAND — The Huntington North baseball team had only three runners reach second base Saturday afternoon, and Jay County starting pitcher Josh Jellison didn’t let either one of them come close to crossing the plate.
And for as well as Jellison pitched, they were lucky to make it that far.
The senior right-hander pitched a two-hit complete game shutout and the Patriots came away with a tight 2-0 victory against a tough Olympic Athletic Conference rival at Don Selvey Field.
“I felt good today, really good,” Jellison said. “Once (the offense) gave me some runs I knew I had confidence in myself to make sure I didn’t give up any runs.”
The Patriots (9-1, 3-0 OAC) struck early, as Health Williams led off the bottom of the first with a walk. He stole second, advanced to third on a balk by Vikings’ starting pitcher Levi Sell, and scored when Adam Homan hit a rocket RBI single back up the middle.
Nick Timmerman followed with a line-drive single to right. Homan advanced to third on the hit, and Vikings’ right fielder Phil Sundling’s throw to the plate took a wild bounce over catcher Aaron Drummond’s head, allowing Homan to score the second run of the inning.
“We took advantage of a couple of their early mistakes and pushed a couple runs across,” Jay County coach Lea Selvey said. “(Jellison) did an outstanding job on the mound today, and we took advantage when we weren’t hitting the ball really well.”
Jellison got Huntington North batters to go down one-two-three in the second, third and fourth innings, and faced only four batters in the fifth.
“I think Jellison dominated us and took the bats right out of our hand,” Viking coach Chad Daugherty said. “Obviously we weren’t ready to go, and a couple mental mistakes led to a couple runs, and if it wasn’t for that you’re looking at a 0-0 ball game and possibly going to extra innings.”
The Vikings started to hit the ball hard in the sixth inning, and for a moment it looked as though Huntington North was on the verge of a rally. Thad Frame led off with a line drive into left for a single, and center fielder Scott Tarnowski followed with a deep drive to left that looked as if it might clear the fence and tie the game. Patriot left fielder Chance Retter backed towards the fence, looked over one shoulder, and then another, before hauling it in just short of the wall.
“They made a great play on a ball hit to left field, the left fielder made an outstanding catch on a tough ball hit well over his head,” Daugherty said.
Jellison walked Kevin Eppard in the next at bat, giving the Vikings two runners on with one down, and cleanup hitter Jason Rahn at the plate. Rahn hit a liner right to Williams at short and he doubled off Frame at second easily, ending the inning and the Vikings only threat.
“That’s been the Achilles heel of this team, they shoot themselves in the foot here of late,” Daugherty said. “But credit Jay County, they took advantage of that, and the kid on the mound just got stronger and stronger. He pitched very well for them.”
In extending his record to 5-0 Saturday, Jellison’s stats have reached gaudy proportions. In just under 30 innings of work, he has allowed two earned runs and his ERA is a nearly invisible 0.48. He has struck out 42 batters and walked only three. Opposing batters are hitting .140 against the righty.
“I’m trying to stay ahead of the hitters,” he said. “The curveball was on, the splitter was working quite well, and I could come back with the fastball, but they fouled off a lot of pitches and they really worked me well today.”
For their part, the Vikings got a solid performance from both their pitchers. Sell worked two innings, allowing two runs — one earned — on three hits, and struck out five of the ten batters he faced. Eppard worked four innings of scoreless relief, giving up only one hit and two walks while he record three strikeouts.
“In close games like this you have to do the little things to win ball games,” Daugherty said. “And Jay County didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, and they made all the plays.”
“This is the type of game I envisioned,” Selvey said of the pitching duel. “And this is how we’re going to have to play to beat good teams. These kids think they’re going to win every time they step on the field, and I just hope that continues.”
The fourth ranked Patriots play at Union City Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
And for as well as Jellison pitched, they were lucky to make it that far.
The senior right-hander pitched a two-hit complete game shutout and the Patriots came away with a tight 2-0 victory against a tough Olympic Athletic Conference rival at Don Selvey Field.
“I felt good today, really good,” Jellison said. “Once (the offense) gave me some runs I knew I had confidence in myself to make sure I didn’t give up any runs.”
The Patriots (9-1, 3-0 OAC) struck early, as Health Williams led off the bottom of the first with a walk. He stole second, advanced to third on a balk by Vikings’ starting pitcher Levi Sell, and scored when Adam Homan hit a rocket RBI single back up the middle.
Nick Timmerman followed with a line-drive single to right. Homan advanced to third on the hit, and Vikings’ right fielder Phil Sundling’s throw to the plate took a wild bounce over catcher Aaron Drummond’s head, allowing Homan to score the second run of the inning.
“We took advantage of a couple of their early mistakes and pushed a couple runs across,” Jay County coach Lea Selvey said. “(Jellison) did an outstanding job on the mound today, and we took advantage when we weren’t hitting the ball really well.”
Jellison got Huntington North batters to go down one-two-three in the second, third and fourth innings, and faced only four batters in the fifth.
“I think Jellison dominated us and took the bats right out of our hand,” Viking coach Chad Daugherty said. “Obviously we weren’t ready to go, and a couple mental mistakes led to a couple runs, and if it wasn’t for that you’re looking at a 0-0 ball game and possibly going to extra innings.”
The Vikings started to hit the ball hard in the sixth inning, and for a moment it looked as though Huntington North was on the verge of a rally. Thad Frame led off with a line drive into left for a single, and center fielder Scott Tarnowski followed with a deep drive to left that looked as if it might clear the fence and tie the game. Patriot left fielder Chance Retter backed towards the fence, looked over one shoulder, and then another, before hauling it in just short of the wall.
“They made a great play on a ball hit to left field, the left fielder made an outstanding catch on a tough ball hit well over his head,” Daugherty said.
Jellison walked Kevin Eppard in the next at bat, giving the Vikings two runners on with one down, and cleanup hitter Jason Rahn at the plate. Rahn hit a liner right to Williams at short and he doubled off Frame at second easily, ending the inning and the Vikings only threat.
“That’s been the Achilles heel of this team, they shoot themselves in the foot here of late,” Daugherty said. “But credit Jay County, they took advantage of that, and the kid on the mound just got stronger and stronger. He pitched very well for them.”
In extending his record to 5-0 Saturday, Jellison’s stats have reached gaudy proportions. In just under 30 innings of work, he has allowed two earned runs and his ERA is a nearly invisible 0.48. He has struck out 42 batters and walked only three. Opposing batters are hitting .140 against the righty.
“I’m trying to stay ahead of the hitters,” he said. “The curveball was on, the splitter was working quite well, and I could come back with the fastball, but they fouled off a lot of pitches and they really worked me well today.”
For their part, the Vikings got a solid performance from both their pitchers. Sell worked two innings, allowing two runs — one earned — on three hits, and struck out five of the ten batters he faced. Eppard worked four innings of scoreless relief, giving up only one hit and two walks while he record three strikeouts.
“In close games like this you have to do the little things to win ball games,” Daugherty said. “And Jay County didn’t shoot themselves in the foot, and they made all the plays.”
“This is the type of game I envisioned,” Selvey said of the pitching duel. “And this is how we’re going to have to play to beat good teams. These kids think they’re going to win every time they step on the field, and I just hope that continues.”
The fourth ranked Patriots play at Union City Tuesday at 4:30 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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