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Miller, Baird help South Range take over first place
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Zach Thorpe of South Range steps on home plate behind Springfield catcher Hunter Snyder to score the Raiders’ first run in Monday’s game at South Range High School in Beaver Township. The Raiders downed the Tigers, 3-1.
By Tom Williams
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
When Springfield High head coach Matt Weymer intentionally walked Billy Goodall, South Range cleanup hitter Ryan Miller understood why.
Still, the move motivated him.
“I’m not gonna lie — it kinda got underneath my skin,” the Raiders’ junior catcher said. “It gave me some fire.”
The stakes were higher than usual Monday as both teams took unbeaten league records into their Inter Tri-County League Tier One showdown. With the score tied in the third inning and Zach Thorpe standing at second base with two outs, Weymer said it was a no-brainer decision.
“I have a lot of Billy Goodall nightmares from the past,” Weymer said. “I didn’t even think about it; he’s done very well against us.
“Ryan on deck hits fourth — it was no disrespect to him,” Weymer said. “He’s also a good hitter.”
Facing unbeaten James Hillyer, Miller laced a 1-1 pitch into the left field corner for a RBI double.
Tyler Baird (4-1) made that run count, retiring 12 of the Tigers’ final 14 batters in South Range’s 3-1 victory that puts them in the driver’s seat for another ITCL Tier One crown.
Today at 5 p.m., the Raiders (15-3, 10-0) face the Tigers (17-2, 9-1). Last year, the Raiders won the title while the Tigers advanced to the Division IV state championship game. Two years ago, they shared the title.
This year, the Tigers and Raiders will compete in the Division III tournament. Their rivalry is as strong as any in their league.
Thorpe, who scored drew two walks and scored the Raiders’ first two runs, called the win “big.
“Senior year and I’d like to get [another] ITCL championship — and not share it,” said Thorpe who along with Goodall is considering playing baseball for Mount Union next season.
The Raiders snapped the Tigers’ 16-game winning streak.
The way the game began, it was far from certain that Baird would be on the mound to see it finish. Hunter Snyder doubled and came home after Baird fielded Dalton Donachie’s sacrifice bunt and threw wildly to first base. After Ryan Kohler reached on an infield single, Baird retired Hillyer, Joe Wrask and Brandon Chamberlain to strand them.
“It could have been worse,” South Range head coach Jim Hanek said. “Tyler limited the damage and we were able to respond.
“Then he really settled in,” Hanek said. “I was really impressed with how composed he was.”
Aware he threw approximately 40 pitches in the Tigers’ first two at-bats, Baird said he tried “to pitch more to contact as the game went along. I wanted to finish.
“It’s always nice to go outing the seventh and close the deal, especially against a team like Springfield,” Baird said. “They’ll always be our [top] rival.
“We still have tomorrow to take care of, but tonight was huge.”
Baird struck out 11 batters and walked one.
“His change-up was great tonight,” Weymer said. “You don’t see a lot of high school kids command that change-up like he did. You’re not going to win too many games when you strike out that many times.”
After Thorpe walked in the first inning, Goodall singled to right field to advance Thorpe to third base. Miller grounded out to score Thorpe for a 1-1 tie.
The Raiders scored their other run in the fourth inning when Dylan Keller singled and scored on Josh Fromel’s hit for two-run lead.
Snyder had two hits and walked to pace the Tigers’ offense.
Fromel and Miller each had two of the Raiders’ six hits.