Patriots one win away (06/02/07)

HARTFORD CITY - The Patriots have tied or broken so many team records this year it's hard to keep track of them all. Those are nice, but what they really want is at least one more win.

Jay County's offense bounced back Friday to combine with another outstanding effort on the hill from Michael Jobe for an 8-2 baseball sectional semifinal win over the Mississinewa Indians at Blackford.

"He's been doing that for us all year," said JCHS coach Lea Selvey of Jobe, who tied a 31-year-old school record with his 12th win of the year. "He's just kind of a workhorse for us. (One earned run) is about right for him. ...

"He's a battler and a competitor. I'm extremely happy with him, and don't be surprised if he comes back and throws some tomorrow. That's just the kind of kid he is."

Not only did the effort pull the Patriots within one win of their first sectional championship in 12 years, it also gave them an opportunity to earn one more game on their home field.

If they win Saturday's championship game - they play host Blackford for the title at 11 a.m. - they would host a one-game regional Tuesday against Western. Blackford won the second of the two sectional semifinal games on their home field Friday 8-4 over Tipton, and Western earned a sectional crown by upsetting Class 3A No. 4 West Lafayette 7-3 Thursday.

Jobe gave up an unearned run in the first inning to Mississinewa, but locked down over the next four frames. He held the Indians scoreless as his team came back, putting down the side in order in both the fourth and fifth innings.

Jason Lane caught Jobe with a solo home run to lead off the sixth inning, but that was all 'Ole Miss would get off the JCHS junior. He struck out back-to-back batters to end the game, getting Mississinewa leadoff man Justin Branock to chase an eye-high fast ball to finish it.

In addition to his wins record, Jobe's nine strikeouts gave the Patriots 221 for the year to break the team record of 217 set in 1992.

"It's an honor," said Jobe, who is now 12-1 and shares the single season win record set by Dean Hunt in the first year of the school's existence. "I just go out there and do my job and try to get a win for the team. Breaking a record isn't the first thing in my mind, it's just getting a win.

"Twelve wins is the team. The defense has backed me up. I wouldn't be anywhere if I didn't have my defense."

Jobe also got plenty of offensive support against Mississinewa.

After scoring just a combined seven runs in the previous two games and falling behind 1-0 through two innings against the Indians, Jay County put up crooked numbers in the third, fourth and sixth innings to run away with the win.

"It was a really big deal (to get the offense going), because we knew we'd have to score a bunch of runs because they scored a lot on Monday," said JCHS senior Tony McCowan, noting the Indians' 11-8 opening-round win over Delta. "We had to come out and hit the ball in order to beat them."

As happens so often the little things got Jay County going as Casey Waters reached base on an infield single and Luke Goetz followed with a walk. A fly ball from Jobe allowed Waters to move up to third base, and he scored on a ground out from Josh Selvey.

Another walk, this one to Josh Ludy, set up Thomas McCowan, who smashed a hit to center field.

The ball took a high bounce over the head of center fielder Conner Cunningham, clearing the bases and leaving McCowan at third with a triple.

Two Mississinewa errors led to three unearned runs in the fourth inning, including Jobe's second home run in two tournament games. Goetz finished off a big offensive day with his second home run of the year, a two-run shot in the sixth.

The McCowan triple and the home runs by Jobe and Goetz all came with two outs.

"It goes back to them," said Mississinewa coach Brian Cruz, whose team finished at 11-16. "With two outs they're looking to put the ball in play with two strikes. They don't strike out a lot and they made some plays ... that's hats off to them."

When Ludy scored on McCowan's triple it marked his 41st run of the year, breaking the record set by Shannon Stigleman in 1991. Ludy is also one home run short of tying Stigleman's single-season home run record of 11.

The two home runs pulled the Patriots within one of the team record of 25 set in 1998. They already own the doubles record at 72 for the year, having broken the mark of 65 from 1991, and are on pace for the records for hits, runs per game and batting average marks.

Goetz's home run capped a three-run evening for the junior center fielder. Thomas McCowan finished with two hits and two RBIs, and Waters had two hits and two runs.

"I'm glad we found (the bats)," said Selvey, who got five of his runs from the No. 8 and 9 hitters Waters and Goetz. "We haven't hit the ball well (the last few games).

"A couple defensive plays ... kind of really got us ignited and got us excited."

Those defensive plays came as Mississinewa had issues on the base paths to go along with their six errors defensively.

In the first inning Nathaniel Fleming doubled, but rounded second base and got caught off the bag on the relay throw by Thomas McCowan from Waters to Josh Selvey. Justin Branock got greedy trying to stretch a single to a double in the third inning and got caught by the same combination.

The Indians rebounded to get runners on second and third with two outs in the third inning, and clean-up man Brandt Eastes hit a ball back up the middle. Selvey, the JCHS second baseman, was able to track it down behind second base, but had not chance to get Eastes at first. However, Fleming tried to score from second on the play and Selvey's throw to catcher Josh Ludy nailed him at the plate.

After a rough start Tony McCowan also turned in a couple of gems at third base, leaping to take a base hit away from Conner Cunningham in the fourth inning and making a diving stop toward the line before throwing out Jordan Masters in the fifth.

"It felt better," said McCowan. "I felt real bad about making two errors, so I had to back it up and make some better plays."[[In-content Ad]]