SHELBY - It started with a light sprinkle. It thundered.
Then it really started to pour.
And that was just the Buckeye Central offense.
By the time the lightning rolled into the Shelby area, the Bucks had staked an 11-0 lead over St. Peter's heading into the bottom of the fourth of the Division IV sectional final at Shelby High.
The game will resume today back at Shelby at 4:30 p.m. with Buckeye Central (19-5) at the plate to start the bottom of the fourth.
Bucks starter Tyler Erwin was cruising through the St. Peter's lineup when the game was suspended. He had scattered three hits and a walk over four innings, never letting a runner past second. He struck out seven. BC coach Chad Jensen has already made the decision that when the game resumes today Erwin will not be back on the mound.
In the first inning, the Bucks' Justin Herrnstein doubled to deep center and when he threatened to go to third, center fielder Chad Tomchak overshot third base on his throw and Herrnstein came around to score on the error.
But the first inning was mild compared to the storm that erupted in the second inning from the Bucks' dugout. Buckeye Central sent 10 batters to the plate in the inning.
With one out, Chase Finney doubled to left-center. After a groundout, Justin Miller thundered a pitch to left center, driving in Finney and landing himself on second. He moved to third on a passed ball. Jordan Herrnstein then walked, putting Bucks on the corners with two outs.
Torrey Sams tried to pick off Herrnstein but overthrew first baseman Cory Malec, which allowed Miller to score and put Herrnstein on third. Adam Paynter singled in Herrnstein, stole second and scored himself when Justin Herrnstein singled on a worm burner to second base. He moved to second on a passed ball and was plated when Erwin reached safely on an error by shortstop Chris Marek. Erwin stole second and Jacob Zeiter walked to complete the Bucks batting around. Thomas Kaple, who started off the inning, ended the Bucks' second-inning storm by grounding out to the pitcher.
But a new storm front rolled in in the third inning. Finney walked and Bryce Christy reached on an error by Tomchak. After a infield fly rule out, Jordan Herrnstein doubled to right field, driving in Finney. Paynter reached on an error. Herrnstein and Paynter moved to second and third on a balk by Sams. Jordan Herrnstein scored when his older brother grounded out to shortstop and right behind him was Paynter who scored when Malec tried gunning out Paynter at third after the groundout. He overshot his target and Paynter scored.
Had he not scored then, he would have a batter later when Erwin struck lightning with a jolt to right field, clearing the fence for a solo home run. Zeiter doubled to left center, chasing Sams from the game with a final line of 11 runs on nine hits, three strikeouts and three walks.
Sam Blaising came in and blazed on into the hand of Kaple, putting him on first. Finney then singled but the ball hit Kaple, forcing the runner interference out and ending the inning.
On the day, St. Peter's stranded one runner in each inning. If the Bucks can hold a 10-run margin into the bottom of the fifth today, the game will be over.
No comment was sought from either coach since the game was not completed.
