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CANTON – The baseball term “A swing” was coined long before New Albany made its second consecutive Division II state tournament appearance, but it fit perfectly with everything the Eagles did well June 12.
Seven Eagles accounted for nine hits, complementing a splendid outing from junior pitcher Bryson Gittins, as New Albany pulled away from Harrison for a 4-1 semifinal win at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium.
“Our coach [Michael Sandman] talks about ‘A swings,’ so any time I go up to the [batter’s] box, I am just looking for a pitch I can hit well,” senior designated hitter Justin Speert said. “We got those pitches there, so I have my ‘A swing’ and it felt good. We got a lot of fastballs.”
Two hits each from Speert and junior outfielder Mason Ackermann powered the Eagles (25-7) into a state final meeting with Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit or North Canton Hoover at 7 p.m. June 13 at 7 17 Credit Union Park in Akron.
Hoover and Walsh Jesuit played the second semifinal June 12.
New Albany is in its first final since 2021, when it won the Division I championship.
“It explains our season in a nutshell – different guys stepping up at different times,” Sandman said. “It’s been so awesome to see them rally around each other and do whatever it takes.”
The Eagles scratched out a run in each of the first two innings.
Junior first baseman Carson Skinner scored on a bases-loaded walk in the first, which senior shortstop Caden Kistner started with a single on the game’s first pitch.
Speert opened the second with a double down the left-field line. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Kistner’s sacrifice fly to right.
The Eagles chased Harrison starter Xander Loos in the third, when three singles loaded the bases, senior outfielder Van Routhier’s sacrifice fly scored Ackermann and Speert’s RBI single to left plated Skinner.
“I saw that [Loos] was throwing a bunch of strikes so I wanted to attack early in the count,” Speert said. “I went up there and saw the ball well. I swung when I saw the ball well and found some holes.”
Tucker Ward’s two hits led Harrison (14-11), a first-time state qualifier, and he scored the Wildcats’ only run in the fifth.
Ward led off with a walk, stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Other than that, Gittins used an array of pitches to become the first New Albany pitcher to reach 10-0 in a season. He scattered five hits, struck out eight and walked two on 97 pitches.
“I completely lost my curveball in my last game [a regional semifinal win over Westerville South], but I found it today,” Gittins said. “Really just my fastball worked in that game; my off-speed was just rough, but I powered through.
“This year, I came in as our No. 2 pitcher [behind classmate Aidan Wyche] and I feel like every outing, I don’t always have everything. I just figured out along the way that every inning, I might have to rely on something different.”
New Albany has not allowed more than a run since May 11, a span of nine games. That run includes three shutouts and six one-run outings.
The win also was especially sweet given that New Albany lost a 10-inning semifinal to Amherst Steele last year on the same field. That included a controversial inside-the-park home run on what originally was ruled an out.
“We returned three regular, everyday guys and 20 innings on the mound this season,” Sandman said. “But a lot of these guys were there, so the sting and being there was important, but so many different guys have risen up and written their own stories.”
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Albany baseball advances to OHSAA Division II state final
Continue reading...
Seven Eagles accounted for nine hits, complementing a splendid outing from junior pitcher Bryson Gittins, as New Albany pulled away from Harrison for a 4-1 semifinal win at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium.
“Our coach [Michael Sandman] talks about ‘A swings,’ so any time I go up to the [batter’s] box, I am just looking for a pitch I can hit well,” senior designated hitter Justin Speert said. “We got those pitches there, so I have my ‘A swing’ and it felt good. We got a lot of fastballs.”
Two hits each from Speert and junior outfielder Mason Ackermann powered the Eagles (25-7) into a state final meeting with Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit or North Canton Hoover at 7 p.m. June 13 at 7 17 Credit Union Park in Akron.
Hoover and Walsh Jesuit played the second semifinal June 12.
New Albany is in its first final since 2021, when it won the Division I championship.
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“It explains our season in a nutshell – different guys stepping up at different times,” Sandman said. “It’s been so awesome to see them rally around each other and do whatever it takes.”
The Eagles scratched out a run in each of the first two innings.
Junior first baseman Carson Skinner scored on a bases-loaded walk in the first, which senior shortstop Caden Kistner started with a single on the game’s first pitch.
Speert opened the second with a double down the left-field line. He advanced to third on a groundout and scored on Kistner’s sacrifice fly to right.
The Eagles chased Harrison starter Xander Loos in the third, when three singles loaded the bases, senior outfielder Van Routhier’s sacrifice fly scored Ackermann and Speert’s RBI single to left plated Skinner.
“I saw that [Loos] was throwing a bunch of strikes so I wanted to attack early in the count,” Speert said. “I went up there and saw the ball well. I swung when I saw the ball well and found some holes.”
You must be registered for see images
Tucker Ward’s two hits led Harrison (14-11), a first-time state qualifier, and he scored the Wildcats’ only run in the fifth.
Ward led off with a walk, stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly.
Other than that, Gittins used an array of pitches to become the first New Albany pitcher to reach 10-0 in a season. He scattered five hits, struck out eight and walked two on 97 pitches.
“I completely lost my curveball in my last game [a regional semifinal win over Westerville South], but I found it today,” Gittins said. “Really just my fastball worked in that game; my off-speed was just rough, but I powered through.
“This year, I came in as our No. 2 pitcher [behind classmate Aidan Wyche] and I feel like every outing, I don’t always have everything. I just figured out along the way that every inning, I might have to rely on something different.”
New Albany has not allowed more than a run since May 11, a span of nine games. That run includes three shutouts and six one-run outings.
The win also was especially sweet given that New Albany lost a 10-inning semifinal to Amherst Steele last year on the same field. That included a controversial inside-the-park home run on what originally was ruled an out.
“We returned three regular, everyday guys and 20 innings on the mound this season,” Sandman said. “But a lot of these guys were there, so the sting and being there was important, but so many different guys have risen up and written their own stories.”
High school sports reporter Dave Purpura can be reached at [email protected] and at @dp_dispatch on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: New Albany baseball advances to OHSAA Division II state final
Continue reading...
