Jonathan Alder’s Greg Kennedy connects on a pitch from Marion-Franklin’s Darnell Taylor in the bottom of the first inning. The senior scored three runs and notched two RBIs in the team’s win over the Red Devils.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
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There wasn’t much of a challenge on Wednesday when Jonathan Alder’s baseball team played Columbus Marion-Franklin.
The Pioneers went into the Division II tournament game at Olentangy Liberty with the No. 2 seed, while the Red Devils were ranked 20th.
The game was played on the turf at Olentangy Liberty since Jonathan Alder’s diamond was not ready to play on due to inclement weather.
The game lasted only through the top of the third before Marion-Franklin called it quits.
That’s because JA held a whopping 32-0 lead.
Alder pitcher Cam Potter put the Red Devils down in the top of the first.
Jonathan Alder plated 27 runs in the home half of the initial inning.
The Pioneers held a 10-0 spread before Jace Schrock blasted a grand slam homer.
He added another RBI during his next at-bat of the inning.
“We put the ball in play and scored runs,” said Jonathan Alder head coach Craig Kyle.
The Pioneers (23-2) rapped 25 hits.
Cashton Wheeler hit safely in four turns at the plate and finished with three RBIs.
Schrock tallied a trio of hits in as many at-bats and drove in seven runs.
Potter went three-for-three with four RBIs.
Garrett Roach, Ashton Martin, Greg Kennedy, Grant Horne (three ribbies) and Mason Keaton each finished with two hits.
Also hitting safely were Blake Adkins, Tyler Barton, Garrett Bauer, Zach Gantz and Andy Yoder.
“When we get into the tournament, it is one step at a time,” said Kyle. “That’s what we did today.
“The biggest thing I told the team was we need to play, worry about ourselves and not worry about who we are playing.”
Potter struck out two of the three batters he faced in the opening inning.
Adkins finished the final two innings. He fanned five and walked one.
The road ahead
The Pioneers were scheduled to play at home against third-seeded Licking Valley Thursday evening.
The game was played after the deadline for Friday’s Journal-Tribune.
If the Scarlet and Black won against the Panthers, the road to a district title game may have to go through a familiar opponent…one that spoiled JA’s 2023 postseason hopes.
Fifth seeded Bloom-Carroll also played Thursday evening against No. 4 Buckeye Valley. If the Bulldogs won, a rematch will be something the Pioneers are eager to get into against a formidable rival.
“It is all we’ve been talking about,” Roach, a senior, said about the aspirations of the team. “We are picking it up for the seniors who were left behind last year and that’s been my mindset.”
“You can’t teach or coach experience,” Kyle said. “The fact they experienced that (losing to Bloom-Carroll) last year and felt like what it takes to get into that has been a good thing for us this year.”
Feelings from 2023’s Division II district final loss to BC are still felt. Kyle and his team have acknowledged the shortcomings in last year’s matchup and have addressed the need to answer the call in stress-filled situations.
“We’ve been focusing on not being afraid to fail and playing to win,” Kyle said. “A couple of Saturday’s ago, we went up and played Wapakoneta (a 4-0 victory)… that was a big game for our guys.”
Kyle said several games this season with London and Kenton Ridge tested the ability of Jonathan Alder’s standards.
“We are just trying to play baseball,” Roach said about the calmness the crew has maintained heading into competitive matchups. “We are just taking it one game at a time.”