STATE BASEBALL TOURNEY St. Henry's bats prove to be just too much for the Ursuline Irish

The top-ranked Redskins rolled past Ursuline in a state semifinal, 10-0.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
COLUMBUS -- The Ursuline High baseball team gathered for one final time inside the dugout.
Players joined hands, and after one final chant of "Irish," they headed their separate ways.
There was supposed to be one final day remaining in the 2003 season that would allow Ursuline to win its third state baseball championship.
"Our kids were loose, confident and ready to play," Ursuline coach Sean Durkin said.
But as players united that one last time under sun-drenched skies, with wearied looks and battered psyches, they knew that possibility had ended.
Ursuline had just been steam-rolled 10-0 by St. Henry, the state's top-ranked team, in the Division III state semifinals Friday at Cooper Stadium.
Up and down
A roller-coaster season, in which the Irish began tournament play with a 6-15 record, ended in every team's dream destination -- the state tournament.
"The seniors pulled together," Ursuline senior designated hitter Kevin Barry said. "We didn't pull our weight during the regular season, but at playoff time we stepped up. We weren't going to give up on this team."
Friday's game, however, was tough for the Irish (12-16) to take. St. Henry (29-3) ended Ursuline's season in a five-inning game that lasted 1 hour, 30 minutes.
The Redskins, who came into the game with a .405 batting average, roughed up Ursuline senior starter Josh Conkey for nine runs in three-plus innings.
"I honestly couldn't tell you what happened today," Barry said. "I've never seen a team hit the ball that well against Josh. Ever."
Play of the game
The biggest hit Conkey allowed came in the second inning, and it had a devastating impact on the Irish.
With one out, two runners on base and a 1-0 lead, St. Henry's Eric Schwieterman hit a line drive over the head of Ursuline freshman center-fielder David Patrick that rolled to the wall.
"That was the biggest play of the game," St. Henry coach John Dorner said. "Eric had a good count to hit [1-0], and he hit it sharply. The ball seemed to carry, and I think it surprised the center-fielder."
Cooper Stadium's expansive outfield and Schwieterman's speed resulted in an inside-the-park home run and a 4-0 lead for St. Henry, which added three more runs in the inning.
"That six-spot they put up in the second inning was like getting punched in the gut," Barry said.
Knocked out
The Redskins didn't let up, either, knocking Conkey out of the game two batters into the fourth and nobody out. He allowed nine runs on 11 hits while striking out two and walking three. He also threw a wild pitch.
"It's disappointing that it had to end this way," said Conkey, who gave way to sophomore Armand DePaul. "This team is a lot better than what we showed today."
Ursuline's deficit put more pressure on its hitters to solve St. Henry junior pitcher Andy Dues. The only threat Dues faced came in the fifth inning, when the Irish loaded the bases with one out.
Dues, however, got Conkey to fly out before striking out John Metzinger to complete his four-hit shutout.
"This is the last game I'll ever play," said Barry, who plans to major in pre-med at Ohio University. "That's what makes this loss the hardest."
richesson@vindy.com