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Arcanum
senior Grady Garno is told to put on the brakes after leading
off the fourth with a triple. Garno
would later score on a base hit by
Donnie Kress for the Trojans lone run. Arcanum fell to Russia 3-1 in
the
regional semi-finals, closing out the season with an 18-8-1
seasonal mark and a district championship.
CNO photo by George Starks
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Russia downs
Arcanum in regional semis
By George Starks
SPRINGFIELD- With things knotted up at 1-1 heading into the bottom of
the sixth, it looked as if Arcanum and Russia were going to need extra
innings to decide who was going to move on in the OHSAA baseball
tournament.
Then came the bottom of the sixth.
After senior Grady Garno had retired the first two hitters for Russia,
the wheels fell off the lefty’s wagon on his way to the final out of
the frame.
Garno then issued three straight walks to load the bases, with the
third walk being issued on four straight balls..
That was enough to bring Trojans coach Randy Baker out of the dugout to
make a pitching change.
Baker brought in Austin Ripple to close out the inning and keep things
in order for the Trojan second.
It wasn’t to be.
On his first pitch to the plate, Ripple plunked pinch hitter Brandon
Barlage, bringing in the winning run, scored by Treg Francis.
Adding insult to injury, Ripple then proceeded to walk Trevor Sherman,
forcing in another run.
All that ended up with a 3-1 Russia regional semi-final victory as the
Raiders would score two in the frame without the benefit of a base hit.
After the Raiders started to tee off on Arcanum starter Jacob Albaugh,
Baker came in, threw the hook and brought on Garno in relief. Garno did
his usual job in relief of Albaugh.
“He came in and did his usual job,” said Baker of his senior. “He was
leaving the ball high a little bit there in the sixth but gave no
indication anything was wrong.”
Russia got the early 1-0 lead in the first and things stayed that way
until the fourth.
In the fourth, Garno led off with a triple and promptly scored on a
single by Donnie Kress.
It looked as if the Trojans would add on to that lone run as Alex Layne
would reach on an error, moving Kress to second.
Kress would be forced out on a sacrifice bunt attempt by Collin Hable
for the first put of the frame.
Layne and Hable would move no further as Jacob Weaver and Corey Baker
would be retired.
“We were playing for a big inning there,” said Baker. “We left too many
runners on base. We had many opportunities to score and when you play
in big games like this, you got to drive them in and we didn’t do that.”
On the night, the Trojan pitchers allowed only two hits. One in the
first and the other in the third.
“That seems to be the way our games have gone lately,” Baker said. “Our
pitching has done well and the offense has struggled. That’s part of
the game. Tip your hat to Russia.”
Arcanum finishes 18-8-1 with a district title and its first trip to the
regional since 2005.
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