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CANTON — Down one run in the third inning of the Division V state semifinal game in Canton at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium on Thursday afternoon and after seeing Lucasville Valley starting pitcher Nolan Barnett once already, Waynedale's lineup was about to get in sync.
Waynedale's (29-3) assertiveness and readiness worked in their favor, as the Golden Bears — in their fifth straight state semifinal appearance — defeated Lucasville Valley (22-8), 7-2.
With that, the defending Division V state champions will play Gahanna Columbus Academy Friday, June 12 in Akron for a chance at not just repeating but winning four state titles in five years.
"Our team 1 through 9 have great hitters and we adjust really well to pitchers," said Waynedale left fielder Cam Miller afterwards. "We kind of knew his stuff and we prepared for it all week."
More: How Waynedale's Anna Pittman finished as state runner-up in pole vault
Miller scored the first run of the game in the first inning after being driven in by starting pitcher Jordan Miller. Cam Miller's opposite field RBI double then tied things up at 2-2. Centerfielder Hudson Barkman delivered on an RBI single to give the Golden Bears the lead.
That third inning was the turning point for Waynedale, as their depth and ability to use all parts of the field paved the way.
"We call it a three-quarters arm slot pitcher. We watched video of him, so we knew what it was going to look like," said Waynedale head coach Lucas Daugherty. "... After we saw him through the lineup, we were able to lay off the stuff from the bottom of the zone and the balls that drops out. That's what he does well. Everything sinks. Once we were able to lay off the ones low and make him bring it up again, it really gave us a chance."
Cam Miller, who went 4-for-4 with four hits, 2 RBIs and scored three runs in the game, said the pitch he and his teammates saw the best from Barnett was his fastball.
"Up to that point, I was seeing the ball great. I took whatever he gave me," he said.
Waynedale eventually outhit Lucasville Valley 13-5, with Jordan Miller — who also earned the win as the starting pitcher — driving in two runs and Barkman adding three RBIs.
If the little things are important come playoff baseball, it's running the bases through and through, which Waynedale did with intent.
There were a couple of times when the Indians infield wasn't able to field a ground ball cleanly and players such as Brayden Steiner, Maddox Kidd and Brock Reifsnyder ran down the first base line and ended up safe. Those basic plays helped the Golden Bears extend some innings that eventually led to more runs being scored.
"We always try to put pressure there. We run hard," said Cam, who entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning and had a key bases loaded, two-out strikeout to get Waynedale out of trouble.
"That's really an expectation there," Daugherty said. "We tell the guys, leave it all out there. Whether you're popping the ball in the air or on the ground weak, run it out. Put pressure on them and make them make plays. That probably helped us add a couple of more runs in the game."
"We're definitely gonna let this win sink in but we're not down yet," Cam said. "We're hungry for more. We're not satisfied with winning one game. We want to win it all."
[email protected]
Twitter/X: @JamesSimpson II
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Waynedale baseball defeats Lucasville Valley in Division V state semifinal
Continue reading...
Waynedale's (29-3) assertiveness and readiness worked in their favor, as the Golden Bears — in their fifth straight state semifinal appearance — defeated Lucasville Valley (22-8), 7-2.
With that, the defending Division V state champions will play Gahanna Columbus Academy Friday, June 12 in Akron for a chance at not just repeating but winning four state titles in five years.
"Our team 1 through 9 have great hitters and we adjust really well to pitchers," said Waynedale left fielder Cam Miller afterwards. "We kind of knew his stuff and we prepared for it all week."
More: How Waynedale's Anna Pittman finished as state runner-up in pole vault
Miller scored the first run of the game in the first inning after being driven in by starting pitcher Jordan Miller. Cam Miller's opposite field RBI double then tied things up at 2-2. Centerfielder Hudson Barkman delivered on an RBI single to give the Golden Bears the lead.
That third inning was the turning point for Waynedale, as their depth and ability to use all parts of the field paved the way.
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"We call it a three-quarters arm slot pitcher. We watched video of him, so we knew what it was going to look like," said Waynedale head coach Lucas Daugherty. "... After we saw him through the lineup, we were able to lay off the stuff from the bottom of the zone and the balls that drops out. That's what he does well. Everything sinks. Once we were able to lay off the ones low and make him bring it up again, it really gave us a chance."
Cam Miller, who went 4-for-4 with four hits, 2 RBIs and scored three runs in the game, said the pitch he and his teammates saw the best from Barnett was his fastball.
"Up to that point, I was seeing the ball great. I took whatever he gave me," he said.
Waynedale eventually outhit Lucasville Valley 13-5, with Jordan Miller — who also earned the win as the starting pitcher — driving in two runs and Barkman adding three RBIs.
If the little things are important come playoff baseball, it's running the bases through and through, which Waynedale did with intent.
There were a couple of times when the Indians infield wasn't able to field a ground ball cleanly and players such as Brayden Steiner, Maddox Kidd and Brock Reifsnyder ran down the first base line and ended up safe. Those basic plays helped the Golden Bears extend some innings that eventually led to more runs being scored.
You must be registered for see images attach
"We always try to put pressure there. We run hard," said Cam, who entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning and had a key bases loaded, two-out strikeout to get Waynedale out of trouble.
"That's really an expectation there," Daugherty said. "We tell the guys, leave it all out there. Whether you're popping the ball in the air or on the ground weak, run it out. Put pressure on them and make them make plays. That probably helped us add a couple of more runs in the game."
"We're definitely gonna let this win sink in but we're not down yet," Cam said. "We're hungry for more. We're not satisfied with winning one game. We want to win it all."
[email protected]
Twitter/X: @JamesSimpson II
This article originally appeared on The Daily Record: Waynedale baseball defeats Lucasville Valley in Division V state semifinal
Continue reading...
