EAGLES GRAB A CLUTCH OF VICTORY IN THE NICK OF TIME
By Dom O’Brien
LOUISVILLE, OH – It’s an all-time classic storyline in playoff baseball. One team that fell short last year was granted an opportunity to defeat the team who beat them last year. That was the storyline of the Regional Semifinal between Tiffin Calvert and Warren JFK. This is the third time the Senecas and Eagles have met in the playoffs in the past four years. Both teams have won one, the most recent victor being Tiffin Calvert. Both teams had something to prove against each other in this matchup, and it turned out to be one of the most entertaining games of the OHSAA playoffs.
The pitching on both sides of the ball was superb all game long. There were twelve strikeouts from Warren JFK’s Freddy Bolchalk and nine from Tiffin Calvert’s Blake Coleman. On the other side, there was minimal offense. It started hot with Michael Condoleon hitting a single in the first inning, then scored the opening run off a Dom Ryan single. It took three innings for Tiffin Calvert to respond. Caden Otterbach shattered the drought with a triple into right-center field. Otterbach then scored Tiffin Calvert’s first run of the game with a quick single from Connor Moyer off the first pitch.
This match stayed knotted up at 1-1 past the seventh inning. Five runners were left on base for the Senecas since their tying run. Bolchalk threw for just over nine straight innings until Michael Bartoe filled in to clean up the ninth inning. Coleman pitched just over 10 innings and was subbed out after getting the first out of the tenth. Jake Kidwell replaced Coleman, and this is where Warren JFK found an opening. Andrew Lapolla opened with a single to right field. Condoleon followed up with a single of his own. The Senecas intentionally walked the big-hitting catcher Caleb Hadley, leaving Bartoe with bases loaded and one out. Bartoe sent a pop-fly on a 0-2 to deep right field. The catch was made, but Lapolla was able to tag up and beat the throw to the plate. A walk-off sacrifice fly for Warren JFK to win the game 2-1, and to punch their ticket to the Regional Finals.
The Calvert Senecas finish their season 23-7, but cannot get back to the final four like they accomplished a year prior. The Warren JFK Eagles improve their record to 19-8, and they move on to the Regional Finals for the second straight year. They look to face Hillsdale on Friday, May 31, who upset 1-seeded Lake Center Christian. It is a rematch of the Regional Semifinals from 2 years ago. Another exciting storyline waits to be constructed at Louisville High School.
