Sigman shines in Grove City’s regional semifinal win over Darby
Thursday, June 1, 2023
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Grove City’s Logan Highley slides into second base before Darby’s Gavin Casper can make the tag during a Division I regional semifinal June 1 at Grove City. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Zak Sigman’s mindset was a week in the making. The senior pitcher, who recently committed to Ohio State, knew the game was in his hands and he wanted to be ready.
Sigman came through with a stellar complete-game performance to lead the Grove City baseball team to a 2-0 win over Hilliard Darby in a Division I regional semifinal on June 1.
The Greyhounds, playing the regional tournament on their home field, will try for its second consecutive title and sixth overall against Olentangy Orange on June 2.
“It’s really just all about your mindset before the game starts,” Sigman said. “It doesn’t matter how good or bad the game is going, if you’re locked in, you’re locked in. Before the game I was locked in and I just got it done.”
Sigman struck out 10 batters, allowing four hits and four walks in a complete-game victory for Grove City.
“Zak’s fastball is absolutely ridiculous,” senior catcher Grady Speegle said. “He can locate any spot. Zak makes it a lot easier when he’s dealing and can throw anything he wants for a strike at any time. He lives off the pitcher’s duel mentality.”
Hilliard Darby’s Zack Carlo steals second base before Grove City’s Conor Hix can make the tag during a Division I regional semifinal June 1 at Grove City. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Meanwhile, the Grove City offense did just enough against Hilliard Darby senior left-hander Cam Gilkerson to advance.
The Greyhounds (21-10) used a pair of two-out rallies in the second and fifth innings to plate their runs.
Speegle started the two-out rally in the second inning with a base hit to center. After a Logan Highley walk, Conor Hix drove him home with another single to center.
“(Gilkerson’s) fast ball runs like crazy,” Speegle said. “It’s like hitting off a pitching machine. We hit off pitching machines all the time and we’ve prepped for games like this. We had already seen him. We had done our research and we knew we were getting him again. We just go up there with confident approaches and have fun.”
Sigman and Gilkerson pitched against each other in a regional semifinal last season that was also won 2-0 by the Greyhounds.
“(Sigman has) been big in these moments,” Grove City coach Ryan Alexander said. “He was amazing against Teays Valley in the district semi, he was amazing tonight and then a monster hit to give us a little bit of insurance.”
Junior Andrew Garner got a two-out hit in the fifth inning, stole second and then scored on a base hit to left by Sigman.
Grove City pitcher Zak Sigman celebrates a strikeout against Darby during a Division I regional semifinal June 1 at Grove City. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Otherwise, Gilkerson was near perfect, tossing flawless innings in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings.
He allowed two earned runs on five hits and a walk and struck out six for the Panthers (19-11).
Darby had its chances. Junior Dominic Spina, who led the team with two hits, and senior Evan Vulic each singled to start the second inning. But a double play on a baserunning mistake proved costly to the rally.
Sigman picked off a runner for the first out of the third inning to thwart another rally before it got started. The Panthers had two on with two out in the fourth, but the big hit never came.
“We had lots of traffic, we just couldn’t get the big hit,” Darby coach Chris Fugitt said. “We had a couple of baserunning blunders. This deep in the tournament, the bigger the game, this stuff comes back to haunt you. But I love how our kids battled.”