Super sixth

COLDWATER, Ohio — Offense was hard to come by for the Indians through the first five innings.

Every batter contributed in the sixth inning, breaking the game wide open.

A 10-run sixth inning lifted the sixth-seeded Fort Recovery High School baseball team to a 12-8 victory over the ninth-seeded Parkway Panthers on Wednesday in the OHSAA Division IV Northwest District III tournament semifinal at Coldwater.

With the win, the Indians (12-12) advance to play fourth-seeded Marion Local today at 6 p.m. in the district championship.

“We feel great,” FRHS coach Kevin Eyink said. “We came away with a win. The guys made a great comeback, so we’re feeling really good right now.”

Fort Recovery managed to get traffic on the base paths in four of the first five innings, but only scored off of a two-RBI double by Caden Homan in the third. 

Parkway (8-14) found success in the third and fourth on a trio of errors and a sacrifice fly to secure a 4-2 lead.

Despite trailing with only six outs remaining, the Indians came into the bottom of the sixth inning with a lot of energy. Their dugout was filled with a mix of cheering for their teammates, various claps to get in the pitcher’s head and incoherent yelling in as a reaction to positive results.

“It’s all our seniors,” Caden Homan said. “Troy (Homan) is getting our team pumped up. We come into that inning and the seniors don’t want to lose and have it be the last time on the ball field. They just got us really pumped up.”

That positive energy seemed to pay off as Caden Grisez and Gavin Faller worked back-to-back walks to start the inning.

With the tying run on first base, Eyink called Reece Evers over to tell him to bunt. Evers watched ball one go by before laying a bunt down the third-base line that no one could get to before he reached base safely.

FRHS senior Reece Evers slides in safely on a wild pitch during the sixth inning of the district opener on Wednesday to give the Indians their first lead of the game. Evers finished with one hit, one RBI and one run in the 12-8 win over Parkway. (The Commercial Review/Andrew Balko)

 

A single to left by Riggs Tobe and a walk by Alex Dues tied the game at four runs apiece. Then during the following at bat, Evers took an opportunity to swipe home plate on a passed ball to give FRHS its first lead of the game at 5-4.

“Coach just told me to bunt, and you have two guys on so you have to get it down,” Evers said. “It doesn’t mean you need a big hit there, just need to find a way to get those guys around and tie the game up and I was able to do that and get the lead.”

A one-run lead wasn’t enough for Fort Recovery. Troy Homan reloaded the bases after getting hit by a pitch, and the fourth run of the inning came on a ground ball hit by Reece Wendel.

Caden Homan followed with his second two-RBI double of the game to run the score up to 8-4.

Back-to-back walks to Alex Gaerke and Grisez forced in what would be the difference maker as the Panthers put together a run in the seventh inning. The final three runs of the inning scored on a sacrifice fly by Evers, a single by Mason Diller — he pinch ran for Tobe earlier in the inning — and a wild pitch.

Dues secured the first out of the seventh inning on one pitch as Kolt Harner popped out to Grisez and third base.

A walk, two hits and a fielder’s choice gave the Panthers two runs but put their backs against the wall as they trailed by six runs with one out remaining.

They just wouldn’t give up easily.

An error by Gaerke at shortstop prompted Eyink to go to Rex Leverette in relief.

Leverette gave up a two-RBI double to Caiden Berry.

The next two attempts to secure the final out weren’t fruitful either as Xavier Samples walked and Fletcher Smith singled to the right side.

After a mound visit, Levertte pumped two strikes past Harner before inducing a short fly ball straight to Troy Homan in center field. The FRHS senior made the catch for the final out, securing the win.

“I knew it was straight up the middle and Troy was going to get there,” Leverette said. “It was just relieving.

“It’s the best feeling I’ve had.”

Apollo Thomas suffered the loss for Parkway after giving up six runs in one inning pitched and facing 10 batters.

Marion Local came out on top of Fort Recovery 6-5 on April 18 with a walk off balk.

While the Indians still have work to do to earn a trip to Elida, they can still celebrate that they held on to find themselves playing today for a district championship.

“These guys played really hard tonight,” Eyink said. “Just really proud of our guys and we'll keep working on what we've been doing and hopefully things go well Friday.”