The Truth - High School

Prep Baseball -- Fairfield pitchers struggle in 2A semistate
Published: Sunday, June 13, 2010 -- The Truth, B
Last updated: 6/13/2010 12:01:02 AM
By Steve Krah
Truth Staff
KOKOMO -- Brodie Garber couldn't come up with a name.

But the Fairfield High School baseball had an apt description for the batter that did much of the damage Saturday as No. 8-ranked Delphi beat the No. 6 Falcons 8-2 in the Class 2A Kokomo Semistate at muggy Highland Park Stadium.

"Mr. 5-Hole, he had a pretty nice day," said Garber, who was referring to junior catcher Shane Hyman. The right-handed swinger belted a two-run home run on the first pitch he saw in the second inning then added a two-run double in the third inning and another two-run homer in the sixth to help the Oracles (26-7) advance to play defending champion Heritage Christian (26-10) in next Saturday's 2A state championship game at Victory Field in Indianapolis.

All three hits were to right field, the smallest field at Highland Park, where it is marked at 270 feet down the right field line and 370 in the right-center power alley.

"We've really jumped on (Hyman's) back this postseason," said Delphi coach Pat Lowrey. He's really carried the load for us."

Hyman's father, Mike, died of heart disease before the Oracles' win in the semifinals of the Carroll (Flora) Sectional.

"We're playing for his dad right now," Lowrey said. "(Hyman) has really battled behind the plate. He had to be tired."

Fairfield left-hander Justin Scott (11-2) pitched into the fourth inning. Senior right-hander Derick Troeger finished the game. The pair combined to yield three hit batsmen and two walks.

"That killed us," said Garber, who saw each of the lead-off hit batsmen score for Delphi in the second, third and fourth innings. "We left the ball up a few times. (Delphi) got the big hits when they needed it."

Getting lead-off baserunners helped open up the Oracles' playbook for hit-and-run and other offensive opportunities.

Lowrey said his team may have been nervous at the beginning of the game (both teams were in the semistate for the first time).

"Shane's homer in the second was huge for us," Lowrey said. "It let us play our game the rest of the way."

The Oracles scored three unearned runs -- all after two outs in the third inning. Delphi added one marker in the fourth and two in the fifth for an 8-0 lead.

Fairfield sophomore Zach Newcomer broke up the shutout in the top of the sixth inning when the right-handed batter sent a pitch by left-hander Austin Hawn (9-2) over the left field fence for a two-run homer.

The next batter -- junior Jordan Bontrager -- had a homer taken away at the fence by leaping junior left fielder Dayton Rummel.

Lowrey said Hawn, who struck out two and walked none, pitched to contact and trusted his defense.

Garber liked the at-bats he saw from his team in the last two innings.

"But that was a little bit late," Garber said. "(Before that, we) were making weak contact. We were taking two-strike swings in hitter's counts. It's been months since we've done that.

"I don't think this game is an indication of the season we've had by all means."

Garber said he may allow himself to reflect on a year in which the Falcons (24-4) won a school-record number of games and earned Northeast Corner Conference, sectional and regional titles (the program's first for the latter) later this summer.

"Six seniors played their last game," said Garber, who sees graduation take Scott, Troeger, Josh Beck, Josh Brown, Trent Kauffman and Derek Reafsnyder. "That's in the forefront of my mind."

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Summary

Class 2A Kokomo Semistate

DELPHI 8, KOKOMO 2

Fairfield 000 002 0 -- 2 6 1

Delphi 023 120 x -- 8 5 1

Justin Scott (L, 11-2; 6 runs, 3 earned, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts, 1 walk, 3 hit batsmen, 1 wild pitch), Derick Troeger (4; 2 runs, 2 hits, 2 strikeouts, 2 walks) and Jordan Bontrager; Austin Hawn (W, 9-2, 2 strikeouts, 0 walks) and Shane Hyman.

Fairfield: Hits -- Troeger, Bontrager, Zach Newcomer, Josh Beck, Derek Reafsnyder, Josh Brown. HR -- Z. Newcomer. RBI -- Z. Newcomer 2. Runs -- Z. Newcomer, Jordan Hochstetler. LOB -- 5.

Delphi: Hits -- Hyman 3, Neil Snoeberger, Karson Bender. HR -- Hyman 2. 2B -- Hyman. RBI -- Hyman 6, Snoeberger. Runs -- Bender 3, Hyman 2, Snoeberger, Codey Sattler. SB -- Sattler, Bender. SF -- Snoeberger.

U -- Zach Sliwa, plate; Jeff Hull, first base; Trent Beer, second base; Tom Neunschwander, third base. T -- 1:34.

Records: Delphi 26-7, Fairfield 24-4.

Next: Delphi vs. Heritage Christian in Class 2A State Championship at 1 p.m. Saturday at Victory Field, Indianapolis.