District dazzler

COLDWATER, Ohio — The Redskins couldn’t figure out how to hit Nick Thwaits.
They weren’t able to keep him off the basepaths either.
Thwaits, a sophomore, did it all Wednesday, scoring the only run the Indians needed, reaching double digits in strikeouts and coming within one out of a no-hitter in leading the Fort Recovery High School baseball team to a 2-0 victory over the St. Henry Redskins in the Division IV district semifinal in Coldwater.
“I had better command of my offspeed more consistently,” said Thwaits, who struck out 10, walked a pair and allowed a two-out single in the top of the seventh inning. “The hit I left (a pitch) over the plate and he put a good swing on it.”
The top-seeded Indians (19-8) will defend their district title at 1 p.m. Saturday against another Midwest Athletic Conference foe, Minster. The Wildcats defeated the Crestview Knights 2-1 in Wednesday’s other semifinal.
“Nick was outstanding,” said FRHS coach Jerry Kaup. “Really felt like he wanted to pitch tonight. We are glad we selected him, we really are.
“He had good control of his pitches. He was a little tired at the end, little nervous at the end. (He) gave up a hit but recovered enough to make a couple good pitches to finish the game.”
Thwaits pitched against St. Henry during the regular season but did not factor into the decision — a 3-2 loss in 11 innings. With a second crack at the Redskins, the Marion Local transfer didn’t disappoint.
He allowed a walk in the first inning and hit a batter in the second. The former was left stranded while the latter was thrown out by catcher Chase Bruns trying to steal second. Thwaits then retired 11 consecutive batters, five in a row on strikeouts, and didn’t allow a baserunner again until a leadoff walk in the sixth inning.
By then, he put the Tribe on the board and helped it put continued pressure on the Redskin defense.
The sophomore began the bottom of the first inning with a double to the gap in left center off SHHS starter Mitchel Stammen, two-time MAC player of the year. Cade Wendel followed with a single, a slow dribbler through the middle of the infield that allowed Thwaits to come around for the only run the Indians needed.
Stammen was hurt on the next play in a collision with Wendel at third base, and Matt Siefring replaced him.
“You haven’t even gotten out of the first inning and your best hitter, your four-year starter and your No. 1 pitcher — and in my opinion, one of the best pitchers in the state of Ohio — goes down with a an injury,” said John Dorner, the St. Henry coach. “At that point you could have thrown in a towel and it’d be over with, but these guys played with heart. They came all game long and battled against a good pitcher.”
They just weren’t able to figure out Thwaits.
Two innings later, St. Henry intentionally walked Jackson Hobbs to load the bases and Jacob Homan popped out to the warning track along the left field line.
During the next frame, Fort Recovery had two runners on but the Redskins got out of the jam, and in the fifth inning another free pass to Hobbs and a hit by pitch loaded the bases with one out. But Siefring got a strikeout and a pop fly to end the threat.
“We’re trying to get it so we can win the game with our offense knowing that Nick is throwing well,” Kaup said.
The thing is, the Indians didn’t have to, because Thwaits and the Tribe defense did the job.
Homan made yet another diving play at shortstop in the first inning. During the sixth inning, St. Henry’s Jason Evers hit a sharp grounder through the right side, but right fielder Ross Homan charged the ball and fired to Hobbs at first for the force out. On the next pitch, Wendel caught a pop fly in foul territory behind third base before being undercut by a diving Jacob Homan, who also made an attempt on the play.
“(The defense) was able to make a lot of plays behind me to keep me feeling good,” said Thwaits, who also had two singles and walked to reach base on all four of his plate appearances.
Ben Homan hit a leadoff single in the sixth inning. Ross Homan sacrificed pinch runner Davis Will to second with a bunt, and Will Homan drilled an RBI single for an insurance run.
“I was happy to see that base hit and that run in the (sixth) inning because it was getting tight,” Kaup said.
But now the Tribe meets Minster, a team it beat for the district championship last year for its first title in six decades. The Indians also won earlier this season, a 3-0 decision behind Thwaits’ 11 strikeouts.
“Minster is extremely well-coached,” Kaup said. “They really know how to play baseball so they’re not going to make many mistakes.
“They are going to take some good swings. Can we compete with that and play with that? Yes. But we are a very solid team.”