Monarch infielder Connor Parks, left, fires the ball toward first against a Lancaster base runner. Marysville fell to the Golden Gales, 3-0, in the Division I district semifinal game at Gahanna.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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On paper, Lancaster High School’s baseball team was considered a very heavy favorite over Marysville during a Division I district semifinal game on Tuesday.
News flash…. baseball games aren’t played on paper.
The 14th-seeded Monarchs gave the No. 2 Golden Gales all they could handle before Lancaster notched a 3-0 verdict in the game played on Gahanna-Lincoln’s home diamond.
MHS righty starter Trey Storr and Lancaster southpaw Casey Finck locked horns in a scoreless mound duel for 4 ½ innings.
The Golden Gales brought the scoring drought to an end and plated all of their runs in the home half of the fifth frame.
Lancaster threatened in the bottom of the second after Storr sandwiched a strikeout between base hits by Wes Ward and A.J. Cook.
Lucas Gauerke worked the count to 3-2 before blooping a single over shortstop to load the bases.
Storr prevented a run when he fielded a grounder and tossed the ball to catcher Chase Kilgore for the forceout.
The sacks were still juiced when Storr coaxed a groundball out that left three runners on base.
Lancaster put runners on first and second in the third after an MHS fielding miscue and a single by Tyler Monk.
A line drive out to first baseman Gabe Schaeffer and a fly ball ended the threat.
The Monarchs (who ended their season with a 15-13 record) could not generate much in the way of offense against Finck during the early going.
With one down in the top of the first, Michael Bonczak was hit by a pitch and Blake Storr ripped a single.
That was, however, the only hit that Finck yielded for the entire game.
Bonczak and Storr were erased on an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play.
The Monarchs stranded three runners during their first five innings, which frustrated head coach Nick Blake.
“We had shots at scoring early, but we missed them,” he said. “We only had one hit and that’s on me.
“I didn’t do a good enough job of getting the guys ready.”
To be fair, the Monarchs had trouble getting the ball through an airtight Lancaster infield.
“They have the best high school infield I’ve ever seen,” said Blake.
Storr retired the Golden Gales (25-3) in order during the bottom of the fourth, but ran into big trouble during the ensuing inning.
He induced a fly ball out to begin the frame, but then issued a free pass to Evan Sines.
Finck singled and a walk to Monk loaded the bases.
Ward lofted a high fly ball deep to left field.
MHS’ Christian Colvin made the catch and threw the ball back toward the infield.
Sines tagged at third and raced home for the Golden Gales’ first run.
Blake felt the Lancaster base runner left the bag early and questioned an umpire.
The men in blue conferred, but the call stood with the Golden Gales up, 1-0.
Jake Richards then blasted a triple that plated two additional runs.
At that point, Storr was replaced on the bump by sidearm reliever Blaine Williams.
The MHS senior got Marysville out of further trouble with a ground ball out.
Blake had praise for his starting pitcher.
“I thought Trey pitched a nice game,” he said. “He’s been ‘Mr. Consistent’ for us all season.
“He just had one tough-luck inning.”
Storr yielded six hits, struck out one and walked two.
Finck retired the Monarchs in order during the visitors’ portion of the sixth.
Lancaster threatened again in the sixth against Williams.
Gauerke was hit by a pitch to begin the frame.
Colvin made a diving catch for the first out, but Max Hamilton followed with a base hit.
Sines was safe on a fielder’s choice that left runners perched at the corners.
Blake ordered an intentional walk to Finck in order to set up the third out at any base.
The strategy worked as all three runners were stranded when Williams benefitted from a fly ball out.
The Monarchs were down to their final few batters in the top of the seventh.
Finck, who finished the game with four punchouts and three walks, coaxed a line drive out to right field and a bouncing ball to the infield.
Jack Christian earned a free pass, but a fly ball ended the Monarchs’ season.
MHS 000 000 0-0 1 1
L’caster 000 030 x-3 7 1
WP: Finck
LP: T. Storr