Published: June 02, 2009 01:35 am      

CLASS 2A SECTIONAL: Pioneers rolls into title game

Baserunning blunders doom Generals in second semifinal

CLARKSVILLE — Nothing so far has been able to derail Providence’s progress in the Class 2A baseball sectional, but one more test seperates the Pioneers from the title.

The tournament hosts took care of business in Game 1 of Monday’s semifinals, following up a quarterfinal win over Austin last Friday by scoring seven times in the third inning to roll past Pekin Eastern, 12-2.

Awaiting the Pioneers in this evening’s championship game will be Brownstown, which spoiled what could have been an all-Clark County final by narrowly edging Clarksville 1-0 in the second semifinal.

It will also give Providence a chance to re-write another wrong from the season. The Pioneers, which lost to Austin during the regular season, were likewise between by Brownstown.

The final will begin at 7 p.m.



PROVIDENCE-PEKIN EASTERN

It’s an understatement that the Pioneer bats have been live thus far during the postseason — Providence has outscored its two opponents 22-3 — but they’ve also been clutch.

Providence sent 13 batters to the plate during its big third-inning rally, but the final nine of them came up with two out.

Ahead 1-0 after Jeffrey Schueler’s first-inning triple and a sacrifice fly from starting pitcher Ryan Dixon, the Providence half of the third began slowly, as Christian Betz drew a walk and moved to second on a bunt from Michael Hornung. Once Spencer Corrao walked and Scheuler lined out, there with two out without a single run being scored.

But Anthony Denis opened the hit parade with a two-run triple against Musketeer starter Trey Albertson. Denis then scored on a double from Dixon.

That’s when the wheels came for Eastern. Jason Dome reached on an error, Brett Robinson drew a walk and first baseman Joe Becht walked to load the bases again, this time against new pitcher Tyler Farmer.

Betz, up for the second time in the inning, drove a Farmer pitch for a two-run single, while Hornung and Corrao each walked, with the latter’s free pass scoring yet another run.

“Offensively, we had a good game,” said Providence coach Scott Hornung. “Good, short swings, putting the ball the ball in play. We had a little lull in our concentration there, but we got our focus back.”

The Pioneers didn’t mount a threat a threat for a couple innings after their outburst. Pekin, down 8-0, nearly did.

The Musketeers managed to load the bases against Providence reliever Brett Robinson in the sixth and Levi Stewart hit an RBI single to leave the bags full with just one out. Hornung went to Denis, who struck out the only two batters he faced and killed any potential rally.

“Every pitch in this tournament makes me nervous,” Hornung said. “This wasn’t easy. When it’s one and done, anything can happen.”

What happened, however, is that Providence — helped by an RBI single from Betz and a shot from Betz that scored two runs — tacked on four more runs in the bottom of the sixth with none out to end it with the run rule.

While the final scores have been lopsided so far, Hornung said his team is aware what a long step it still has to take.

“It starts with our attitude,” he said. “We have to give 100 percent on every pitch. You can’t sit back and let things happen in the sectionals, you have to make it happen.”



CLARKSVILLE-BROWNSTOWN

While fans of offense got what they wanted in the opener, the battle between Mid-Southern Conference powers was a classic pitcher’s duel all the way.

Clarksville starter Jon Bramer and his counterpart, Brownstown’s Kelley Wagner, each went the distance. And each dominated most of the way.

Bramer allowed just one baserunner over the first six innings, striking out nine and walking just one with solid command and a tough high fastball.

The Braves never really solved Bramer, but rather waited until the right moment. It came in the top of the seventh.

Elijah Bean drew a lead-off walk to open the frame, while Michael Ayers moved him on to second with a bunt. That brought up catcher Andrew Allman, who collected only hit that the Braves would need when he crushed an RBI single to left field and nearly emptied the jubilant Braves’ dugout with the knock.

“Jon threw it well,” said first-year Clarksville coach Chris Kane. “We never helped him out.”

That’s not to say Clarksville didn’t have its chances.

The best may have come in the third, when Drew Farney hit a towering shot to right field that dropped for a one-out triple. Bramer then hit a hard grounder, but didn’t hit it far enough — Farney was tagged out at the plate and then Bramer, waiting for the call at home, was also tagged for a bizarre double play.

It happened again in the next inning, which Sean Banks led off with a single. When the Braves tried to throw out pinch runner Josh Haring, the throw went wide at first and Haring went for third. But by then, the Braves had recovered and threw him out a third. Robert Noe, who could have been hitting with a man on second and none out, ended up with empty bases and one gone. He then grounded out.

Jayme Feller was picked off at second by Allman following a lead-off single, leaving the Generals one more thing to think about during the offseason.

“Three baserunning mistakes get you beat every time,” said Kane. “I told them all season that those are the sort of things that beat you and they came back to get us.”

It was the final game for General seniors Kye Tomerlin, Casey Price, Corey Bowens, Daniel Slattery, Noe and Bramer.

PEKIN EASTERN 000 011—2 7 2

PROVIDENCE 107 004—12 9 0

W — Dixon. L — Albertson. 2B — Dixon (P). 3B — Denis (P),



BROWNSTOWN 000 000 1—1 

CLARKSVILLE 000 000 0—0

W — Wagner. L — Bramer. 3B — Farney (C).