No-hitter Nick

Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review

All Rights Reserved.

FORT RECOVERY — Nick Thwaits needed two more outs.

The Tribe offense provided enough run support, and Thwaits, who retired the first 13 batters he faced, just needed to get the next two.

An unfortunate bounce on a ball in the dirt prevented Thwaits from his first career perfect game.

Thwaits struck out 10, didn’t allow a walk and faced one over the minimum Thursday, silencing the Commodores as the Fort Recovery High School baseball team defeated Perry 13-0 in five innings to claim the team’s third consecutive sectional championship.

The Indians advance to the Division IV district semifinal at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Coldwater against Midwest Athletic Conference rival Parkway. The Panthers defeated host Crestview 9-8 in its sectional final.

“I was a little disappointed,” said Thwaits, who lost his bid for a perfect game with one out in the fifth inning when a dropped third strike allowed a Perry runner to reach first base. “It’s not that big of a thing.”

With frustration in his eyes, Thwaits tapped gloves with backup catcher Garrett Faller, walked to the mound and went back to work. He got Keaton Miller to bounce out to Micaiah Cox at first base, and sat down Kevin Miller on strikes to complete the no hitter.

“It’s fun,” he said of his first career no-hitter, albeit a shortened one. “It was fun to come out here and get a W.”

Fort Recovery coach Jerry Kaup, as usual, praised the junior flamethrower who has committed to Kent State.

“Nick threw well again tonight,” he said. “He’s a top-shelf pitcher at the high school level right now. When he has his stuff working he’s difficult to hit.”

Perry coach Mark Hoersten said Thwaits simply overpowered the Commodores (13-7).

“To be honest we just haven’t seen someone throw that hard against us all year,” he said. “We just haven’t seen someone throw as hard as he does.”

Thwaits made quick work of Perry, racking up two strikeouts in each of the first three innings while sitting down a baker’s dozen to start the game.

In the top of the fifth, Perry’s Aaron Rush was one strike away from heading back to the dugout without reaching base. Rush swung at an 0-2 curveball from Thwaits. Faller wasn’t able to corral the bouncing breaking ball, which hit the dirt and ricocheted off Faller and into foul territory down the third base line.

Rush took off for first without a throw from Faller.

The perfect game was gone.

“I was pleased with how Nick threw today and how the team actually played as a whole,” Kaup said. “When he has his stuff working he’s difficult to hit.”

Thwaits was able to get comfortable on the mound because he and his teammates spotted him 10 runs in the first inning. The Indians drew four consecutive walks to start the game. Reese Rogers hit an RBI single, and Kody Shinabery drew another bases-loaded walk to make it 3-0 and chase Perry coach Logan Liles from the contest six batters into his night.

Evan Post ripped a two-run single to push the advantage to 5-0 before Ethan Schoen drilled an RBI double.

In all, the Indians sent 15 batters to the plate in the first inning, drawing eight walks and only three hits. Fort Recovery managed five hits in the game.

“We want to take what they gave us and they gave us a lot of free bases in the first inning,” Kaup said. “We took advantage of those. We didn’t have many hits. We had lots of runs, not many hits.”

Hoersten said his young team — the Commodores have only one senior — was deflated because of the deep hole at such an early part in the game.

“That gets into your psyche, the way you look at things and how you approach the game,” he said. “It brought them down a little bit when they got 10 right out of the get go.”

Ten runs aside, the Commodores had their work cut out for them with Thwaits on the bump.

“That is a nice ballclub,” Hoersten said. “That is what we want to strive to work for.”

Cade Wendel didn’t register a hit for the Indians, but walked three times, scored three runs and swiped four bases. Will Homan walked twice and added an RBI single in the third inning, and Ben Homan recorded a single in the same frame. Will Homan, Thwaits and Post had two runs each.

“We’ve been working on (our offense) with coach in practice, just being able to hit our pitch, to stay in our zone,” Thwaits said. “It was really good to see that come through.”