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Carson Kirby scattered five hits over seven innings to help Parkway with a 4-2 win over St. Henry.
ST. HENRY - The Parkway coaches and veteran players felt that Carson Kirby was the right choice to pitch in the Panthers Division VI tournament opener on Saturday.
And the Panther junior did not disappoint.
Kirby scattered five hits and a walk over seven innings and Jacoby Triplett's three-run home run in the fifth inning helped lift the Panthers to a 4-2 victory over St. Henry at the Wally Post Athletic Complex.
Parkway (10-15) heads to Coldwater to play New Bremen in the late semifinal at Veterans Field. The Cardinals held on to beat Allen East 4-3 on Saturday. St. Henry, which entered the tournament as the second seed, lost its seventh straight game to end the spring at 11-13.
Kirby entered Saturday with a 2-1 record and a 6.73 earned run average in 19 2/3 innings, but head coach Neil Schaffner felt his pitching of late had been solid to warrant the start.
"We talked to the seniors (Friday) at practice. His last couple of outings have been (good). We went with the hot hand," said Schaffner. "Thursday (a loss to Tinora), we threw a pitcher an inning and he looked the sharpest, so we went with him. What a complete game."
For the first three innings, Kirby and St. Henry ace David Clune kept the other's team off the board. Kirby allowed just two hits as the defense backed him up with solid defense. The big play came in the second as Drew Langenkamp led off with a double and went to third on a sacrifice bunt. Owen Zimmerman came on and lined a shot to Triplett at short, with the momentum carrying him to the third base bag to for the inning-ending unassisted double play.
St. Henry's David Clune lays down a bunt during Saturday's Division VI sectional baseball game at the Wally Post Athletic Complex.
Clune was equally sharp in holding Parkway to a hit over the first four innings with five strikeouts.
"He's our guy. He's been pitching varsity for three years," said St. Henry coach Mike Gast of Clune, who struck out eight in allowing just two hits.
St. Henry struck first in the bottom of the fourth. Jack Kaiser led off with a single and stole second. Jake Schwieterman grounded to third, allowing Kaiser to take third. Langenkamp then lofted a deep fly to left, allowing Kaiser to dash home for the opening run.
The fifth started with some pain as Braedn Conn was hit on the arm with a pitch and had to come out for pinch-runner Parker Lyons. Clune quickly got the next two batters out before Lennox Boroff worked the count to full and drew a walk. Triplett took the first pitch Clune offered for a lofted fly ball to left that kept carrying before landing just over the fence, putting Parkway in front 3-1.
Parkway's Jacoby Triplett (1) is greeted by teammates after hitting a three-run home run to put the Panthers in front during Saturday's Division VI sectional final in St. Henry. The Panthers advanced to the district with a 4-2 victory.
"That's his third of the year, all in the same spot, said Schaffner. "How can you not come up big in that situation? It was loud. We didn't know if it was going over."
"I'm going to be sick for awhile knowing we had a base open there with Triplett up and decided not to walk him," said Gast. "That's on me. He put a great swing on the ball. … They were better than us today."
St. Henry got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as Owen Zimmerman draw a walk. After a bunt and wild pitch, Tate Boeckman singled to left to score pinch-runner Michael Gonzalez.
Parkway got the two-run margin back in the seventh as Isaac Beveridge drew a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, then going to third when the throw to second was off the mark. With Rowan Yoder at the plate, Clune was called for a balk, bringing home Beveridge to make it 4-2.
Kirby retired St. Henry in order in the sixth. In the seventh, Owen Zimmerman led off with a single. Kirby enticed Austin Kunk to pop out to Triplett at short. Boeckman grounded to second, where Boroff threw to Triplett at second for the force out. Brody Schwartz came on to pinch-hit and popped up into foul territory, where Brayden Bruns camped under the ball and snagged the ball to end the game.
"He didn't have command of the curve ball the last couple of innings, but he gutted it out with locating the fastball," said Schaffner of Kirby.
