With the score knotted at 2-2, the Golden Bears (23-9) exploded for four runs in the bottom of the sixth to top Ottawa Hills (22-11) 6-2 and advance to Saturday’s Division III Championship. Senior pitcher Trey Barkman pitched a complete game for Waynedale and drove in two runs at the plate.
Ottawa Hills Strike First
In a battle of the Bears, the Green Bears would strike first in the opening frame. Reddik Pillarelli smashed a 3-1 pitch into the ground in front of home plate, hustling down the line to beat the throw from the catcher. Not done flashing his wheels, Pillarelli stole second and, after a walk to AJ George and a wild pitch, Ottawa Hills had runners in scoring position with one out. Pillarelli would come home to score on a Sebastian Stevens ground out to put the Green Bears up 1-0. Jackson Snyder hit a ball that looked to be a ground out but a throwing error allowed him to reach safely and George to score, making it 2-0 in the first.
Waynedale would get some offense going in the home half of the second when Barkman drew a lead-off walk and Jayden Schlabach followed it up with a single. Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, Barkman was called out at third on a fielder’s choice and Shane Coblentz grounded into an inning-ending double play.
Barkman Does It All
Trailing by two runs, Connor Gatti led off the bottom of the fourth with a single to right. Timmy Short followed that up with a single of his own and after a double steal, Waynedale had runners in scoring position with nobody out. Up came Barkman, who hit a single to right center scoring Gatti and Short to tie the game. Stevens was able to get out of the jam for the Green Bears without any further damage, keeping things tied at 2-2.
Photo by Al Kornspan
After Ottawa Hills scored two in the first and Jack Eidenier doubled in the second, the Golden Bears ace would retire the next 14 Green Bears in order. Leading off the bottom of the sixth, Barkman drew his second walk of the game. Schlabach reached on an error, and a sacrifice bunt from Gavin Spitler moved the runners to second and third. Coblentz singled through the right side of the infield, scoring Barkman, and a throwing error allowed Schlabach to come around and make it 4-2 Waynedale. A Tate Venables single scored Coblentz, and a Dylan Raber single scored Venables, giving the Golden Bears a 6-2 lead with one inning left.
The Ottawa Hills offense would find some life in the top of the seventh. With a runner on first and down to their final out, Nash Barnes doubled down the left field line giving the Green Bears runners on second and third with two outs. On the next pitch, Barkman got Eidenier to sky out to third, sending the Golden Bears back to the Division III Championship for the second straight season.
Championship Game Set
Photo by Al Kornspan
Unranked in the final OHSBCA poll, Waynedale will look to defend their title Saturday night against Harrison Central. The Huskies advanced to the second championship game in school history with a 2-1 win over Heath. The first pitch is scheduled for 7 pm at Canal Park in Akron.
Top Performers
Ottawa Hills
Sebastian Stevens: L 5.1 IP 7 H 3 BB 4 K 5 ER 0-3 RBI
Reddik Pillarelli: 1-3 R
AJ George: 0-2 R BB
Jack Eidenier: 1-3 2B
Waynedale
Trey Barkman: W 7 IP 3 H 1 BB 1 ER 6 K 1-1 2 RBI R 2 BB
Shane Coblentz: 2-3 RBI R
Tate Venables: 1-3 RBI R
Dylan Raber: 1-4 RBI
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | R | H | E | |
| Ottawa Hills | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Waynedale | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | X | 6 | 8 | 2 |
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