Dues dominates

FORT RECOVERY — At times this season, Alex Dues has shown the signs of being an ace for the Indians.

He had been the man on the mound in their first four Midwest Athletic Conference games. He picked up one win, one loss, one no decision and fell behind in a game that was suspended for weather in those first conference contests.

He fully returned to form on the bump in the fifth MAC game.

Alex Dues shut out St. Henry in all seven innings of the Fort Recovery High School baseball team’s 2-0 victory Tuesday to pull the Indians even in conference play and snap a three-game losing streak.

“That’s a win we needed,” FRHS coach Kevin Eyink said. “It can get our sails back on track hopefully. A good opponent and a good win. We always want to beat St. Henry or anybody in the MAC. We finally played clean and had a good game.”

Dues controlled the game the entire way, only allowing St. Henry (6-7, 3-1 MAC) to get runners in scoring position three times. Dues found particular strength in his curveball, which he threw to punch out at least five of the 10 batters he struck out.

“First inning, I usually try to call more fastballs than anything,” said catcher Riggs Tobe. “But I know St. Henry is a good team, so I had to mix it up earlier. The curveball at the beginning was great and the slider was great.

“There were a couple where the ball was wet and he lets the ball go loose, but if he had it, he had it.”

Part of the reason Dues was able to throw his curveball as much as he did is due to the trust he has in Tobe behind the plate. He wasn’t afraid to throw off-speed pitches regardless of the situation or count.

“He’s been my catcher for four years,” Dues said. “I definitely trust him and he’s very good at what he does.”

A prime example of that trust came in the second inning. After a one-out double by Logan Dehan, Dues tossed a curveball that Tobe needed to block. Dehan took off for third base on the pitch, but Tobe kept the ball close enough that he was able to fire it down to Caden Homan at third base from his knees to get the out.

Dues’ best inning came in the third as he faced the minimum number of batters (one of three times he went three-up-three-down against St. Henry). He started the inning off with a five-pitch strikeout as he got Brody Schwartz to swing and miss at high fastball. A curveball got Carter LaGuier after four pitches, while Hayden Boeckman only saw three in his strikeout swinging.

Both runs for the Indians (5-5, 2-2 MAC) came in the first inning. Reece Wendel led off the bottom of the inning with a single to left field. A double by Alex Gaerke over Drew Bergman’s head in left put two runners in scoring position for Homan.

Bergman miss played a line drive off of Homan’s bat by running in before it hit off the top of his glove, allowing Wendel and Gaerke to score for the only runs of the game.

“That was huge,” Eyink said. “We always try and talk about trying to score first. We want to be on that board first and keep a lead. That was huge tonight because both teams settled down and got shut down really.”

Right fielder Rex Leverette ranges back to back right shoulder to make a catch that ended the fifth inning while stranding the bases loaded for St. Henry on Tuesday. The out played a key role in Alex Dues’ shutout. (The Commercial Review/Andrew Balko)

 

St. Henry’s best opportunity to do some damage came in the fifth. Dehan started the inning with an infield single and Jacob Schwieterman followed it up with a screaming ground ball that slipped past Gavin Faller at first base.

Dues settled down to get the next two outs on a fly ball to left and a strikeout, but walked LaGuire on six pitches to load the bases. Boeckman worked a 2-1 count before hitting a long fly ball to right field. Fortunately for the Indians, Rex Leverette had enough time to spring back and track the ball down to get the out and end the inning.

“We had what I thought was a ball to the right-center gap,” St. Henry coach Mike Gast said. “(Leverette) made a really nice running play on it. That would have cleared the bases for us and got three runs there.”