Blake Storr of Marysville slides into the plate Thursday evening at Dublin Coffman High School. The Monarchs fell to Olentangy Liberty, 5-4, in the Division I district championship game.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
––––
An outfield error and a base hit past shortstop proved to be the differences in Olentangy Liberty’s 5-4 victory over Marysville High School’s baseball team on Thursday.
The Patriots rallied from a 4-3 deficit with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings to beat the Monarchs in the Division I district championship game at Dublin Coffman High School.
It was the farthest the Monarchs had advanced in the post-season since their district championship in 2013.
Marysville (which finished the season with a record of 17-10) had taken a 4-3 lead after five innings.
No. 1-seeded Liberty (25-4) tied the game in the home half of the sixth inning on a walk, double and error.
The Pats tallied the walk-off winning score with a runner on third base in the seventh.
The Monarchs, who were the tournament’s No. 16 seed, earned the right to play in the championship game after Wednesday’s 1-0 triumph over third-seeded Grove City in the semifinals.
The Patriots plated their first run against Monarch starting pitcher Tate Virts in the bottom of the initial inning.
Mitchell Okuley led off with a single and went to second on an errant pick-off attempt.
He took third on a wild pitch, right before Carson Comer was issued a walk.
Liberty pitcher Brennan Rowe then gave the Pats a 1-0 lead with a base hit.
A sacrifice bunt put two runners in scoring position.
Virts, though, got out of the jam with a strikeout and a grounder.
Rowe retired the Monarchs in order during the first two innings.
Marysville, however, took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third.
Kaleb Schultz drew a walk and went to second on Michael Bonczak’s single.
They both advanced on Tyler Drope’s sacrifice bunt.
A fielder’s choice off Blake Storr’s bat and a base hit by Gavin Sharp drove in the runs that gave the Monarchs their lead.
That advantage did not last for long as Liberty scored twice in its portion of the third.
Okuley drew a lead-off walk and advanced on Comer’s sacrifice bunt.
A passed ball moved Okuley to third and he scored on Corbin Parrish’s two-out single.
Corey Mayer drilled a long double to left field that allowed Parrish to score.
Virts then coaxed a fly ball out to end the inning.
Marysville kept up the fight and regained the lead with a pair of runs in the fifth.
With one down, Drope walked and Storr reached on a fielding miscue.
Both scored on Sharp’s two-bagger.
Sharp went to third on a fielder’s choice, but was stranded there after a popout.
The Patriots scored the tying run with two out in the sixth.
Connor Osmond walked and Justin Nelson ripped a double.
An outfield error allowed Osmond to race home with the tying run.
Nelson was left perched on second when Virts induced an inning-ending fly ball.
The Monarchs threatened in the top of the seventh.
With one down, Drope reached on an error and was awarded second base on an overthrow.
He failed to move from that spot, however, when Rowe got a fly ball out and a bouncing ball to the infield.
Virts appeared to tire in the seventh when he issued a lead-off free pass to Okuley.
That prompted assistant coach Todd Wilcox to lift him in favor of reliever Garret North.
Comer put down a sacrifice bunt that was fielded for an out.
Okuley, realizing the Monarchs were slow to recover with the infield playing in, raced all the way to third.
He then scored the winning run on a base hit by Rowe.
The Patriots outhit the Monarchs, 8-4.
“We had trouble moving the ball,” said Wilcox. “It was muggy and the wind was coming in. That held the ball up in the air against us.”
The coach praised Virts’ effort on the mound.
“Tate threw 28 pitches last night against Grove City,” said Wilcox, “and we thought we might get three or four innings out of him.
“However, he kept his pitch count down and wanted to keep going out there,” he said. “That’s all you can ask for.”
Along with yielding seven of the Patriot’s hits, Virts fanned one and walked four.
Rowe whiffed three MHS batters and walked two.
Despite the loss, Wilcox was pleased with the team’s season.
“I think what this team did set the blueprint for the next couple of years and the desire to do even more,” he said.
MHS 002 020 0-4 4 2
OL 102 001 1-5-8-2
WP-Rowe
LP-Virts