Darby, Orange, Bloom-Carroll among district winners
Wednesday, May 24, 2023
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Hilliard Darby shortstop Travis Yankovich (26) makes a throw to first during the Panthers’ 11-1 win in five innings over Gahanna in a Division I district final on May 24 at Upper Arlington. Photo: Michael Rich
Travis Yankovich may have looked silly on his first swing. But he sent a two-run home run to right-center field on his second swing to give the Hilliard Darby baseball team the lead for good.
Yankovich and the Panthers put together a complete effort in all three on their way to their second consecutive Division I district championship with an 11-1 win in five innings over Gahanna on May 24 at Upper Arlington.
Fourth-seeded Darby, which won its second consecutive district title and seventh overall, advances to play either second-seeded Watterson or third-seeded Grove City in a regional semifinal on June 1 at Grove City.
“I’ve been struggling all year and that first swing didn’t look too pretty,” Yankovich said. “I thought, ‘Just stay in and hit the ball hard.’ I got lucky that the wind was blowing out and (the ball) just caught the barrel. I’m pretty happy about that.
“We knew he had a long, loopy curveball. I had a pretty bad swing on the first one, so I knew he was going to throw me a second one.”
Cam Gilkerson, who doubled to set up Yankovich’s home run, ended up with three hits, three runs and two RBIs to lead Darby (19-10).
Yankovich finished 2-for-2 with three RBIs and two runs and added a stellar defensive play on a slow chopper in the fourth inning to help the cause.
“These guys are just a great group of guys and I love them,” Yankovich said. “Cooper pitched a great game. He’s been pitching great all year. We just had great energy the whole game. It was just a great game.”
The 24th-seeded Lions (16-13), who upset fifth-seeded Upper Arlington in the second round and ninth-seeded Olentangy Berlin in a district semifinal, took the lead in the first inning of doubles by Kaden Pew and Adam Buerger.
But Cooper Gilkerson set down the final 14 batters he faced, helped by a diving catch in deep center by Cole Horvath.
Cooper Gilkerson went the distance, allowing an earned run on two hits with six strikeouts.
The Panthers blew it open with a five-run third inning where they worked four walks. But it was Evan Vulic’s three-run double that was the big blow as Darby opened a 7-1 lead.
Hilliard Darby’s Gavin Casper slides into third base during the Panthers’ 11-1 win in five innings over Gahanna in a Division I district final on May 24 at Upper Arlington.
“We played great baseball today,” Darby coach Chris Fugitt said. “We got great pitching and we played outstanding defense and that’s what we need to do. We got timely hits today. I didn’t expect it to be (the result it was). (Gahanna had) won eight or nine in a row. We saw a really good pitcher – I know we struck out a lot.”
Carson Samuels, who had six strikeouts through the first two innings, took the loss for the Lions, who entered the game on a seven-game winning streak.
He allowed seven runs (five earned) on three hits and four walks with eight strikeouts over three innings.
“I don’t believe the day was indicative of how we can play,” Gahanna coach Michael Shade said. “All credit to Hilliard Darby. They came out and hit the ball really well and their pitcher pitched really well. We got better as the season went on and the last couple of weeks, we played very well. We made it this far. And when you can get to a district final, anything can happen.”
Olentangy Orange 7, Pickerington North 1
Jacob Tabor had 12 strikeouts in a one-hitter to lead the Pioneers to a Division I district championship on May 24 at Grove City.
Seventh-seeded (20-10) Orange plays the winner of top-seeded Olentangy Liberty and 22nd-seeded DeSales in a regional semifinal on June 1.
The Patriots won all three meetings against the Pioneers in OCC-Central Division play.
Olentangy Orange’s Jacob Tabor delivers a pitch in the Pioneers’ game with Pickerington North on May 24 at Grove City. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Tabor, who struck out the side in the first inning, had a no-hitter until Harry Kreinbrink’s single with two outs in the fourth.
Meanwhile, Cole Cahill hit a solo home run in the first and an RBI single in the third to give the Pioneers the only runs they’d need.
Tyler Fuller’s three-run triple in the fifth put the game out of reach.
Brett Madison allowed three runs, including two earned, on four hits and two walks with a pair of strikeouts to take the loss for the 10th-seeded Panthers (15-12).
Bloom-Carroll 9, Jonathan Alder 6
Bloom-Carroll rallied for two runs in the fifth inning to take the lead and rode relief pitcher Andrew Hall for six innings in capturing a Division II district title game on May 24 at Olentangy Liberty.
Tryce Chaffin hit an RBI single with the bases loaded to tie the game at 6 and Michael Malone followed with a walk for the lead.
The second-seeded Bulldogs (28-2), who last won a title in 2021, advance to play Washington Court House in a regional semifinal on June 1 at Ohio Dominican.
Hall entered in the second inning and allowed one hit and struck out three to hold the top-seeded Pioneers (26-2) at bay.
Chaffin had three hits and scored three runs to lead the Bulldogs.
Grant Horne hit a two-run single in the first inning to stake Alder to a 4-1 lead.
Columbus Academy 2, Utica 0
Harmon Gouhin needed just 89 pitches to get through Utica and the Vikings captured a Division III district title on May 24 at Lancaster’s Beavers Field.
Gouhin spread four hits and three walks with three strikeouts in the win.
Academy, which last won a district title in 2018, advances a regional semifinal against Toledo Ottawa Hills, Genoa Area, Archbold or Metamora Evergreen on June 1 at Hamler’s Garrold Parratt Field.
Peter Tsung led off the second inning with a single and came around to score on Rex Whitney’s sacrifice fly to give the third-seeded Vikings (19-10) all the runs they needed.
Theo Falkenhain had two hits for Academy, which ended ninth-seeded Utica’s bid for its first district title since 1993, the second of back-to-back.
Jordan Hartman had a hit and a walk to lead Utica (14-13).
Pickerington North shortstop Baylee Becker tags Olentangy Orange’s Josiah Ross out at second base May 24 at Grove City. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Heath 3, Fredericktown 1
Tannar Patterson struck out 10 in a complete game to symie the top-seeded Freddies and send Heath to its first district championship since 2011.
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs scored a run in the fourth inning, the fifth and the sixth to stun Fredericktown, who had a string of five consecutive district titles snapped in a Division III final on May 24 at Lancaster’s Beavers Field.
Heath will play Waynesville in a regional semifinal on June 1 at Wright State.
Patterson gave up a run in the first inning, but not much after. He struck out 10 batters and spread around seven hits for the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (20-8).
Connor Corbett’s RBI double tied the game in the third after Preston Devito worked a leadoff walk.
Kaden Green led off the fourth with a single and scored on Cooper Bradley’s two-out single.
Corbett worked a two-out walk in the fifth and scored on Patterson’s RBI single to add insurance.
Kaid Carpenter went 3-for-3 with a run and tossed a complete game with 12 strikeouts, allowing three earned runs on five hits and a pair of walks for the Freddies (25-2).
Berne Union 10, Northmor 9
The Rockets rallied for five runs in the seventh, taking the lead on a Cooper Mitchell single, to win a Division IV district championship on May 24 at Olentangy Orange.
Berne Union will play Russia on June 1 at Wittenberg’s Carlton Davidson Stadium.
The fourth-seeded Rockets (18-9) strung together four consecutive two-out hits in the seventh to take the lead. Mitchell capped the rally with a liner to center that he tried to stretch into a double before Martinez threw him out for the third-seeded Golden Knights (21-7).
William Boulton had three hits and Hudson Gerken and Zach Hartmann each drove in two runs for Berne Union.
Grant Bentley had two hits, two runs, two RBIs and a stolen base to lead Northmor.