July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
No. 4 Jay batters Archers (05/28/08)
JCHS baseball
No. 4 Jay batters Archers (05/28/08)
By By RAY COONEY-
HUNTINGTON - Had they played in their own park, the home run record would likely already be theirs. As it is, the Patriots stand three short of tying the state mark.
More importantly, they rolled through their first tournament game and will play for their second straight sectional title Friday night.
Jay County High School's baseball team, ranked fourth in Class 4A, hit two more home runs Tuesday and slaughtered the Fort Wayne South Side Archers 19-4 in five innings in the semifinal round of the sectional tournament hosted by Huntington North at Huntington University.
"We got up big and got some subs in," said JCHS coach Lea Selvey, who got 18 players on the field. "I think the important thing tonight is we got up here and got under the lights a little bit. We got Michael (Jobe) back on the mound a little bit.
"We got to see how the field plays. It was nice to just get a win under your belt in tourney play."
In the regular-season meeting between the two teams, the Patriots (25-2) scored nine runs in the first inning. Tuesday night they waited until the top of the second before beating - or walking - the Archers into submission.
Phil Powell, Colton Lombardo, Nick Pryor and Luke Goetz drew consecutive bases on balls to open the second inning before Jobe smacked a two-run single to left field. Josh Ludy, who hit his 11th home run of the season in the first inning, followed with a two-run double to right-center to chase South Side starter Richard Ritter.
Reliever Zach Chacon didn't fare much better, walking Thomas McCowan to start his evening. Trey Dunn reached base on an error, and Powell, Lombardo and Goetz each added RBI doubles to the wall for a nine-run inning.
Each of those doubles would have probably been home runs at JCHS's Don E. Selvey field, but the dimensions are a bit larger at Huntington University's Forest Glenn Park.
"We hit the ball early and often," said Selvey after watching his team rack up 14 hits in the first three innings. "We just kind of took care of business. We had way to many errors and mistakes, but I think our concentration level dipped after it was 19-0."
Goetz went deep in his next at bat, hitting a towering shot down the right-field line for a three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning. It was the Patriots' 65th home run of the year, leaving them three short of the state record set by Marion in 1998. Brownsburg stands second in state history at 66.
At 25 wins, Jay County is one short of the school record set in 1983 and tied in 1991 and 1992 when the team went to the semi-state championship game. It has already locked up the best winning percentage in school history.
Ludy was a perfect 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, three runs and three RBIs. Goetz drove in four runs and scored twice.
"They had great nights. Luke had a homer and a double, and a heck of a throw," said Selvey, noting Goetz's toss from center field that held a South Side runner at third base. "Ludy had everything but a triple. ... Two seniors, you kind of expect at this stage of the game that they are going to have to carry you."
Phil Powell added a 3-for-3 effort with two doubles, two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base. McCowan and Lombardo each scored three times.
Jobe got the win, giving up one earned run on four hits and five walks in three innings. He struck out four batters.
Trey Dunn and Eric Homan each tossed an inning of relief.
The Patriots will face a much stiffer test in Friday's sectional championship game when they will take on Homestead (22-5) at 7 p.m. The Spartans earned their title berth with a 4-2 victory over Class 4A No. 9 Huntington North.
"We're going to have to play very well," said Selvey, whose team has won 10 straight. "They have a very good ball club. They're going to have a very good pitcher.
"We're going to have to play a good game. We're going to have to play better than we did tonight. But we knew that. We knew two weeks ago when the draw came out."
Ritter suffered the loss for South Side, allowing eight runs on five hits and four walks in one-plus innings. He faced six batters in the second inning, but failed to record an out.
Two of the four Archer hits came from Ritter, who also scored two runs.[[In-content Ad]]
More importantly, they rolled through their first tournament game and will play for their second straight sectional title Friday night.
Jay County High School's baseball team, ranked fourth in Class 4A, hit two more home runs Tuesday and slaughtered the Fort Wayne South Side Archers 19-4 in five innings in the semifinal round of the sectional tournament hosted by Huntington North at Huntington University.
"We got up big and got some subs in," said JCHS coach Lea Selvey, who got 18 players on the field. "I think the important thing tonight is we got up here and got under the lights a little bit. We got Michael (Jobe) back on the mound a little bit.
"We got to see how the field plays. It was nice to just get a win under your belt in tourney play."
In the regular-season meeting between the two teams, the Patriots (25-2) scored nine runs in the first inning. Tuesday night they waited until the top of the second before beating - or walking - the Archers into submission.
Phil Powell, Colton Lombardo, Nick Pryor and Luke Goetz drew consecutive bases on balls to open the second inning before Jobe smacked a two-run single to left field. Josh Ludy, who hit his 11th home run of the season in the first inning, followed with a two-run double to right-center to chase South Side starter Richard Ritter.
Reliever Zach Chacon didn't fare much better, walking Thomas McCowan to start his evening. Trey Dunn reached base on an error, and Powell, Lombardo and Goetz each added RBI doubles to the wall for a nine-run inning.
Each of those doubles would have probably been home runs at JCHS's Don E. Selvey field, but the dimensions are a bit larger at Huntington University's Forest Glenn Park.
"We hit the ball early and often," said Selvey after watching his team rack up 14 hits in the first three innings. "We just kind of took care of business. We had way to many errors and mistakes, but I think our concentration level dipped after it was 19-0."
Goetz went deep in his next at bat, hitting a towering shot down the right-field line for a three-run homer as part of a seven-run third inning. It was the Patriots' 65th home run of the year, leaving them three short of the state record set by Marion in 1998. Brownsburg stands second in state history at 66.
At 25 wins, Jay County is one short of the school record set in 1983 and tied in 1991 and 1992 when the team went to the semi-state championship game. It has already locked up the best winning percentage in school history.
Ludy was a perfect 3-for-3 with a pair of walks, three runs and three RBIs. Goetz drove in four runs and scored twice.
"They had great nights. Luke had a homer and a double, and a heck of a throw," said Selvey, noting Goetz's toss from center field that held a South Side runner at third base. "Ludy had everything but a triple. ... Two seniors, you kind of expect at this stage of the game that they are going to have to carry you."
Phil Powell added a 3-for-3 effort with two doubles, two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base. McCowan and Lombardo each scored three times.
Jobe got the win, giving up one earned run on four hits and five walks in three innings. He struck out four batters.
Trey Dunn and Eric Homan each tossed an inning of relief.
The Patriots will face a much stiffer test in Friday's sectional championship game when they will take on Homestead (22-5) at 7 p.m. The Spartans earned their title berth with a 4-2 victory over Class 4A No. 9 Huntington North.
"We're going to have to play very well," said Selvey, whose team has won 10 straight. "They have a very good ball club. They're going to have a very good pitcher.
"We're going to have to play a good game. We're going to have to play better than we did tonight. But we knew that. We knew two weeks ago when the draw came out."
Ritter suffered the loss for South Side, allowing eight runs on five hits and four walks in one-plus innings. He faced six batters in the second inning, but failed to record an out.
Two of the four Archer hits came from Ritter, who also scored two runs.[[In-content Ad]]
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