Menu
Bernie upsets top-seeded Advance, to face Woodland for SCAA baseball championship
ADVANCE — Bernie senior Johnny Vaughn didn’t want to take a chance when Advance’s Tyler Davis hit a comebacker with two outs in the seventh inning.
Vaughn pounced on the ball and outraced Davis to first base to clinch the Mules’ 3-1 upset of top-seeded Advance in the semifinals of the SCAA Baseball Tournament on Wednesday at Westfield Park.
“I was really excited,” Vaughn said. “I just wanted to get that out because I wanted to ensure the win. It just pumped me up.”
The fourth-seeded Mules (10-7) will meet third-seeded Woodland (6-4) in the championship game at 4 p.m. Thursday at Marble Hill. Woodland upset second-seeded Bell City 12-6 later Wednesday night.
Bell City (8-6) will face Advance (10-5) in the third-place game at 4 p.m. Thursday at Westfield Park.
Making a rare start on the pitcher’s mound, he allowed one run on five hits with four strikeouts and two walks in seven innings, as the Mules knocked off Advance, who is ranked No. 9 in Class 1 in the most recent state coaches poll.
“Probably in his high school career, I’d say that was his fourth or fifth start,” Bernie coach Marcus Massey said. “He’d thrown a couple of games here and there, maybe one or two a year. He’s always had decent stuff. He’s been so valuable in other spots. He threw the other day against Bloomfield and threw really well. He’s a very competitive kid and he’s a senior. I went to him in practice and I said, ‘Look, now’s your time. Do you want this game?’ And he wanted it.”
Vaughn received some help from his defense along the way.
“I felt like I was more consistent with throwing strikes and keeping them off balance on my off-speed (pitches) and just letting my defense play behind me,” Vaughn said. “I’m really confident in them.”
Gus Garner and Hayden Laird drew consecutive walks to open the fourth inning, and Hunter Tidwell, who finished 2 for 3, hit a bloop single to left field. However, Landon Ellsworth quickly retrieved the ball and threw out Garner at third base.
In the fifth, Davis doubled to open the inning, and Jed Garner flew out to right field for the first out. Davis, who advanced to third on a wild pitch, was thrown out at the plate by Ivan Meyer for a double play.
“Ivan is as hard a worker as it gets. He’s stayed with it,” Massey said. “He knew what to do with the baseball, and as soon as he caught it, he got rid of it and made a great throw home to get the kid. I’m proud of him for that.”
The Mules took advantage of starting pitcher Jed Garner’s control issues early and grabbed a 3-0 lead in the third inning.
Bernie scored two runs in the second on Vaughn’s two-out, two-run single to left field.
“I’m trying to put the ball in play because I know if I put the ball in play, good things will happen for us because we’re playing so good right now,” Vaughn said of the Mules, who have won five straight and eight of their past 10 games.
In the third inning, Meyer singled to left-center to open the inning and scored on Chandler Spitzer’s well-placed single behind the first baseman.
Jed Garner was charged with the loss, yielding three runs on three hits with one strikeout and four walks in two-plus innings.
Spitzer’s single came against Gus Garner but that was only hit Garner allowed in five shutout innings of relief.
“When Gus came in, I told them he’s really good. We’re going to have to compete,” Massey said. “Luckily we did some work early to score a few runs. I said don’t get too high on the highs or too low on the lows. If we have to win it with only scoring three runs, that’s how we are going to have to win it.”
The Hornets scored their only run on Jack Bailey’s two-out single to right-center field in the fourth inning.
Woodland 12, Bell City 6
The Woodland Cardinals withstood a late challenge by Bell City to win the semifinal 12-6 and a earn a spot in Thursday’s championship game.
The Cardinals built an 8-0 lead entering the bottom of the sixth inning when Bell City erupted for six runs.
Woodland responded with a four-run seventh to finish off the Cubs.
Lane VanGennip picked up the win, allowing four runs on three hits with four strikeouts and eight walks in five innings.
Nate Stone was charged with the loss, giving up eight runs — six earned — on nine hits with six strikeouts and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
Rafe Johnson went 3 for 3 with a double, a home run and four RBIs to lead Woodland, who finished with 13 hits. Jo Cook went 3 for 5 with a double and three runs scored. Cecil Abernathy went 3 for 5 with a double, three runs scored and two RBIs. VanGennip went 1 for 5 with a double and two RBIs, and Garrett Koenig and Kiren Lindley added one RBI apiece.
Bryson Maddox went 3 for 4 with an RBI to lead Bell City, who finished with five hits. Austin Hunt went 1 for 3 with a double and one RBI. JT Robey, Logan Stubenrauch, Easton Newell and Michael Dollins recorded one RBI apiece.