Jack Christian of Marysville strides through his wind-up during a Division I sectional finals game against Reynoldsburg on Wednesday. Christian came in to pitch in the fifth inning to collect a save and help the Monarchs win, 4-2.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Sam Dillon)
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The Marysville Monarchs have not had much recent luck when it comes to post-season baseball.
Last year, the Monarchs lost in the opening round to Lancaster, but this year is different story. Marysville, the No. 16 seed, was able to advance to the district semifinals with a 4-2 win over No. 32 Reynoldsburg on Wednesday.
“We lost last year in the first round, so just getting past the first round is huge,” said Marysville assistant coach Todd Wilcox. “This group hasn’t been past the first round. So getting the monkey off their back is huge psychologically for the team.”
The Monarchs’ starting pitcher, Tate Virts, gave up a lead-off walk that would end up coming around to score the opening run of the ball game.
However, Virts was able to pitch into some ground balls to keep the damage to a minimum.
Marysville erased the early run as Blake Storr led the charge with a double to the left-field gap.
Gavin Sharp took first base with a pitch off the shoulder and Jacob Wright was able to lace a ball into the outfield grass that scored Storr.
MHS, though, couldn’t plate Sharp on the same play when the Raiders’ cutoff man threw a strike to catcher for the tag.
Garrett North followed suit with a single that moved Wright to third base.
Wright scored on a layout dive to give the Monarchs a 2-1
lead. Chase Kilgore found the grass with a shot down the first baseline. North was able to work his way around the bases to plate Marysville’s third run of the game, before Reynoldsburg was able to get out of the inning with a fly ball to right field.
The Raiders tallied three singles to lead off the second inning and score a run in the process.
A missed hit-and-run stranded a Reynoldsburg runner at third when Kilgore threw down from the backstop for the first out.
Virts escaped the inning with a groundout and popfly to center field.
Marysville scored an insurance run in the bottom of the second inning when Tyler Drope was hit by a pitch. He later scored on Sharp’s hit to left field.
“Reynoldsburg did a lot better hitting then I thought they were going to, so hats off to them,” said Wilcox. “We have had strong hitting all year and I knew we would be able to get some runs.”
The game turned to favoring the pitchers as each side settled in on the mound.
“Once (Reynoldsburg pitcher) Toeker settled in, he did pretty good,” Wilcox said. “We went quiet with the bats and I think they hit better than us towards the end.
“However, we made those timely plays and didn’t make those mental mistakes.”
Virts was also able to find his groove, fanning four and giving up only two hits through five innings.
He was able to collect two K’s to start the sixth inning, but a balk, wild pickoff play to first and a hit batter, activated reliefer Jack Christian.
The freshman had trouble settling into the role, as he yielded a walk to load the bases.
Christian, though, was able to answer with a strikeout to get of the jam.
“The plan was to go with Jack in the sixth inning, but Tate said he wanted the ball,” said Wilcox. “As a pitching coach in the past, anytime someone asks me for the ball, I let them do it.
“He (Virts) kind of stumbled with the pick-off play, then the balk and the hit batter. At that point, it is better to just make the change.”
With the Monarch bats still on the cool side, the game had to be won with their defense.
Christian was able to answer with a third-to-first ground-out, infield fly ball to shortstop and a strikeout to notch the save and keep the Monarchs’ season alive.
“Jack came in relief last week against Upper Arlington and walked in the winning run, so for him to get back in in a situation with bases loaded and to get us out of it, that was a huge confidence booster for him,” said Wilcox.
The win pits the Monarchs against No. 33-seeded Grove City, which beat Delaware Hayes 8-3.
“We haven’t played them in five years,” said Wilcox. “We have tried to get them on the schedule, but we just haven’t been able to.”
The game will be played at a site yet to be determined at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
RYNL 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 0
MRYS 3 1 0 0 0 0 x 4 8 2
WP- Virts, 5 2/3 IP
LP- Toeker, 6 IP
SV- Christian, 1 1/3 IP