Tigers, Bucks split pair

ATTICA Short memories.

Seneca East proved it could have one.

Buckeye Central coach Chad Jensen is hoping his team has one too.

Article Photos

Seneca East center fielder Billy Diehm dives to make a catch Thursday against Buckeye Central.

The Bucks made quick work of a suspended game, beating Seneca East 6-5 in eight innings before the Tigers clawed back in the regularly scheduled game for an 11-1 six-inning victory.

The Bucks baseball coach preached that to his team after the Bucks' committed six errors, only aiding 9-hit attack for the Tigers (15-5).

"(To win the first one) was huge because Seneca East is an outstanding team," Jensen said. "We did not go out and play defense against their hitters because we knew how good they are. A split against this team is good."

The two teams played seven and a half innings a month earlier with the game getting suspended in the middle of the eighth inning, tied at 5.

So despite playing on Seneca East's field, BC went to the plate as the home team against Mason McWilliams (4-1). Bryce Christy and Adam Paynter walked on eight straight pitches to resume the game, drawing a visit from Seneca East coach Frank Lamoreaux.

"(I was concerned) a little, bit but there's nothing you can do about it," Lamoreaux said. "He throws hard. He throws a good curveball to keep people off balance. He's a good pitcher and I wasn't going to take him out."

Christy and Paynter advanced on passed balls, putting runners at second and third with no outs and Justin Herrnstein at the plate. The senior laid a bunt down the first base line with Christy running but Christy was thrown out at the plate.

With one failed suicide squeeze and Paynter on third now, Tyler Erwin made good on his attempt and Paynter raced in to score on the bunt, ending the suspended affair, 6-5.

"It's tough to come in and finish a game (like that)," Lamoreaux said. "You know they're coming in and they have a little advantage because if they score a run, it's done. We battled."

He said he wasn't surprised by Jensen's suicide squeeze play.

"That's what Chad plays. Chad plays small ball once in a while. He's a smart coach and I'd have done the same thing," Lamoreaux said.

In the month-long game, Adam Bauman drove in two with two hits. McWilliams and Ethan Caudill each doubled in a run while Darin Baldosser tripled and singled. Dalton Wise doubled and singled for the Tigers.

Thomas Kaple singled and drove in three. Herrnstein had an RBI triple and Christy doubled in the victory.

In the night cap, the Bucks (17-5) struck first, when Chase Finney walked and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches. Christy drove him in with a single to right center.

An inning later, the Tigers scored. Jake Nagel reached on an error and Jordan Bowerman and Billy Diehm each singled to load the bases with one out. Dalton Wise singled home Nagel and Bowerman scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-1.

It stayed that way to the fifth when the Tigers sent 13 batters to the plate and scored eight runs in the process.

Ethan Caudill (4-0) helped his own cause by starting off the inning with a double, and he scored on Bowerman's single. Paynter walked the next two batters to load the bases, which brought out Jensen to discuss strategy. Here Lamoreaux beat Jensen at his own game, something Jensen later admitted.

The veteran SE coach called for the suicide squeeze, which Elliott Lee perfectly executed. By the time Paynter fielded the ball, Bowerman was across the plate and when he wheeled to throw to first, the ball sailed over Justin Miller, allowing Diehm to score.

"We didn't have the right defense called against the suicide squeeze and that was my fault," Jensen said. "I told the kids that. I didn't expect them to bunt with the bases loaded and that was really dumb (for me to think that). That kind of propelled them and my hats off to coach Lamoreaux. That was a great call by him."

Another Tiger reached on an error before BC was able to finally record an out. One batter later, another error and Paynter (3-1) was lifted for Miller.

He promptly gave up an RBI single before striking out Caudill, the only strikeout registered by a BC pitcher. But the damage wasn't done. Bowerman walked to load the bases and Diehm smoked a two-RBI single to left center before the Bucks finally retired the side.

"Our guys the last two, three weeks, even if they get behind, it's no big deal for them," Lamoreaux said. "It's just keep battling and focus."

Caudill, who struck out seven on the day, gave up a pair of singles in the sixth but stranded the runners. In the bottom half of the inning, Lee reached on an error and Jason Branham singled. Kyle Depinet was intentionally walked to load the bases before Lee scored on a wild pitch to give the Tigers the run-ruled victory.

"We gave up a couple of hits and then made a couple of mental errors and you can't do that against Seneca East. That kind of hurt us because you can't do that against Seneca East because they're an excellent team," Jensen said. "We talked about learning from it and not making the same mistakes. We come away with a split against these guys. While we're not happy with the loss, we're going to make corrections and get better (today)."

BC knocked the Tigers out of the district tournament last season and with the tourney draw Sunday, it could be just a couple of weeks before these two teams face each other again.

Neither coach chose to reflect on that possibility, instead focusing on their league opponents they needed to play today.

"We're playing some of our best baseball right now and it's not how you start. It's how you finish it," Lamoreaux said. "We'll find out (tonight) with a tough game against Mohawk and see how the draw goes on Sunday."

"Honestly, we're not really worried (about the tournament) yet. Our focus is the (North Central Conference)," Jensen said. "We're not worried about our tournament yet. We'll see what our draw brings us Sunday but our focus right now is Upper (Sandusky) and winning the NCC."