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Seniors leading South Range surge
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South Range’s Dylan Keller (11) is congratulated by teammate Greg Dunham after scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning of an Inter Tri-County League Tier One game against Springfield. South Range won, 3-1, snapping Springfield’s 16-game winning streak.
By Tom Williams
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
Over the past few years, seniors on the South Range High baseball team have blossomed from scrappy sophomores to mature veterans.
“We’ve got great leadership,” South Range head coach Jim Hanek said of the core of his team the past three seasons. “I’m just blessed to have them as a coach.”
Hanek was referring to Bill Goodall (centerfielder, pitcher), Zach Thorpe (shortstop), Tyler Rothbauer (third base, pitcher), A.J. Melnick (outfielder), Dan Macinga (first base), Turner Curry (infielder) and Alex Doyle (outfielder).
Last Wednesday, the Raiders (19-3, 14-0 Inter Tri-County League Tier One) clinched their second straight outright league title. Two years ago, the Raiders shared the crown with Springfield. South Range was won more than 30 consecutive league games.
The Raiders enjoyed a tremendous week. On Monday, they snapped Springfield’s 16-game winning streak with a 3-1 victory.
Tuesday, they edged the Tigers again, this time by a 5-3 score in 11 innings. Goodall relieved starter Greg Dunham and pitched five scoreless innings to get the victory. On Saturday, they swept Lisbon in a doubleheader to finish unbeaten in the league
At the plate, Goodall has a batting average hovering around .600.
“He’s been having a lights-out year,” junior catcher Ryan Miller said.
It’s no wonder Springfield head coach Matt Weymer intentionally walked Goodall in the third inning of last Monday’s game when the score was tied with two outs, Thorpe was on second base and first was unoccupied.
“It was a wise decision to put him on base,” Miller said. “When he gets into the box, you’re kind of expecting him to get a hit.”
That gave Miller, battling cleanup, a chance to take the spotlight. He responded with a double down the left-field line for the game-winning RBI.
Goodall admitted the intentional walk — his first of the season — surprised him.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Goodall said. “I wasn’t worried, though, because I have faith in Ryan and he ended up coming through.
“Who knows if I would have come through?”
Chances are, he would have. In Tuesday’s win, Goodall doubled. Wednesday, he hit a three-run homer.
“I’m happy for him and happy for the rest of our team,” Miller said. “We’re playing great right now.”
Last fall, Miller (quarterback), Goodall (running back), Rothbauer (kicker) and Thorpe (defensive back) were key contributors to South Range’s unbeaten football team.
In the fall, Thorpe and Goodall will be students at University of Mount Union while Rothbauer will be kicking for Wittenberg University, Thorpe and Goodall are considering playing baseball for the Purple Raiders.
“For sure, I’m not playing football,” Goodall said. “I’ve got one more game.”
He was referring to next month’s Penn-Ohio senior all-star game.
“I had a good four years with my guys,” Goodall said of his South Range football experience. “I [want to be able] to walk when I’m 30 so I don’t want any big injuries. Baseball has a little less contact.”
For the past three spring breaks, the Raiders have traveled to South Carolina during spring break. Miller said those trips have helped the Raiders bond.
“It’s awesome,” Miller said. “This was our third year going there and spending time with the guys [to] get camaraderie up before league play gets going.
“We went up against teams twice our size and we’re able to hold our own,” said Miller of the 2-2 record in South Carolina. “We saw great pitching. It’s great baseball down there, it really gets us going to come back to Ohio and play.”
Miller said junior pitcher Tyler Baird has excelled this spring.
“Last year, he wasn’t [often] in our rotation,” Miller said. “We lost our first two pitchers who graduated. Tyler stepped in there and he’s been our No. 1 all year. He’s pitched great.”
Baird (5-1) says it helps that his teammates score so many runs.
“Pitching with the lead is so much easier,” Baird said. “You get to use different pitches in different counts that you usually wouldn’t use in a tie game or when you’re down.”
The Division III tournament opens today. Springfield, last year’s Division IV state runner-up, has moved up to Division III. Also in the district are Ursuline (last year’s Division III state semifinalist) and Girard.
“We’ve been looking forward to this,” Hanek said.