Patriots suffer frustrating finish (06/03/06)

HARTFORD CITY — For the second straight season the Patriots had the tying run on third base in the seventh inning. And for the second straight season their tournament ended on a strikeout.

In 2005 it was then-junior Cory Locke swinging for the final out, and Friday night junior Josh Selvey watched strikes two and three go by as the Jay County baseball team fell 2-1 to the Mississinewa Indians.

Mississinewa, which won on the power of a fourth-inning solo home run from junior catcher Justin Branock, advances to today’s Class 3A Blackford sectional championship game at 10 a.m.

“He’s always liked to be in those clutch situations,” said Mississinewa coach Brian Cruz. “Nobody knew that that home run was going to be the deciding factor, but he stepped up and made the play.”

Both teams had a variety of missed opportunities and base-running mistakes, but Jay County had a final chance to tie the game in the top of the seventh.

Andy Hughes got the frame started with a single to left-center field, then advanced to second on a passed ball. After Luke Goetz hit a line drive to right field for the first out, Hughes moved to third on a ground out by Locke.

Selvey came to the plate 1-for-3 on the day after being robbed of a potential RBI single when Mississinewa second baseman Beau Corey made a tremendous diving catch on his line drive to end the fifth inning. Selvey swiped at the first offering from Indian starter Dustin McHenry, but watched the next two strikes go by to end the game.

The Patriots left runners stranded in scoring position in the first, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. Their only run came on a solo home run by Michael Jobe to lead off the second, and they missed a chance with the heart of the lineup at the plate in the sixth.

“When you’ve got three-four-five up ... you’ve got to think something’s going to happen,” said JCHS coach Lea Selvey of the sixth inning. “It just didn’t happen today. I’m disappointed, but I’m not upset with them.

“We had opportunities, we just didn’t capitalize.”

Following the Jobe homer, Mississinewa pulled even in the third inning despite botching a sacrifice bunt attempt. It bounced back by executing a hit-and-run, and got a run Don Brandenburg across with the tying run when Miles Burdette reached base on a fielder’s choice.

Branock, who finished 2-for-3, hit his home run an inning later, and neither team scored the rest of the way. Jordan Masters also had a pair of hits for the Indians.

The two runs was enough for the victory thanks to a solid effort from McHenry on the hill. He scattered six hits — no more than one in any inning — and did not allow a runner other than Jobe past second base until the final frame.

He struck out three and walked three as Mississinewa improved to 19-6.

“He threw a great ball game,” Cruz said. “He wanted the ball. When they hit that home run, it just seemed to make him focus even harder. He did a nice job ... He just threw a great game.”

Josh Shatto suffered the defeat, giving up the two runs on eight hits. He struck out three and did not walk a batter after giving up seven free passes in four innings in the Patriots’ sectional-opening win over Elwood Monday.

Selvey was complimentary of the effort from Shatto, who suffered just his second loss of the season.

“He threw really well,” said Selvey. “In a 2-1 ball game there’s not a whole lot you can complain about.”

Ludy had the only extra-base hit for Jay County other than Jobe’s blast with a double in the first inning. Other hits came from Selvey, John Retter, Tony McCowan and Hughes.[[In-content Ad]]