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ATHENS — Those that prepare for the moment tend to thrive in that moment. Tuesday was Brandon Bailey’s time to shine.
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
Eastern Brown’s catcher was the team’s lone source of offense, but it was more than enough. He piled on four RBIs and led his Warriors (15-8) to a 4-1 victory over top-seeded Fairland in a Division III district semifinal.
“Brandon has improved so much compared to last year, especially his throwing,” Eastern Brown coach Steve Goetz said. “He worked really hard on that and it’s great to see it pay off in these kinds of moments, making two great throws to get runners stealing and keep Fairland at bay. He had one heck of a game and as a coach, you love to see that for a senior.”
While Bailey got it done at the dish, he also delivered the goods behind the plate, throwing out a pair of runners in huge situations.
His support on both sides of the ball paved the way for Wyatt Haupt to do what he does best on the mound — throw gas.
Playing with emotion and controlling the game as only he could, he went the distance for the win and allowed just four hits while striking out five batters.
“I didn’t have my best curveball or offspeed game for that matter, but I knew I had to bring it and attack their hitters,” Haupt said. “I threw the ball harder than I probably have all season, and I was getting a lot of jam shots instead of barrels. My defense made plays behind me and kept things together all night.”
Though the ending was sweet for the Warriors, the beginning started off on a sour note. The team’s defense committed back-to-back errors, allowing Fairland’s Blaze Perry to cross the dish for a 1-0 lead.
Eastern Brown missed a chance to strike in the second, leaving two runners on base. But it didn’t miss in the third. After back-to-back singles from Caleb Jiminson and Pryce Murphy, Bailey laced a two-run single down the left field line to put his teammates ahead 2-1.
Haupt continued to keep the Dragons off-balance, relying on his fastball as the Dragons (19-5) had trouble keeping up with his zip.
The innings continued to roll by and Bailey came up big in the bottom of the fifth again as he threw out a runner attempting to steal second. Though the Dragons later managed to get two runners on base, Haupt got the next batter to go down looking to end the sixth.
“We started a little shaky in the beginning, similar to our sectional game against Wellston,” Goetz said. “Fairland is a great team and there’s a reason they were the No. 1 seed, but our guys really settled in and trusted themselves. Wyatt threw a great game, our defense played well and we got timely hits.”
That set the stage for the seventh, and Bailey gave his pitcher the insurance runs needed.
With runners on second and third with two outs, he roped a two-run single into right-center field to extend the lead — and ultimately close the game — punching the Warriors’ ticket to a second district final in three seasons.
“I knew I had to find a good pitch and swing hard at it,” Bailey said. “It was my job to get those runs in. When it came time to do something big, we got the job done.”
Eastern Brown will now play in a Division III district final at 6 p.m., Thursday at Ohio University against Minford, a 2-1 winner over Oak Hill.
“It was a rough game as a freshman losing that district final, so I’m glad to be back for another chance to claim the title,” Haupt said. “We have a lot of experience and a great team. Beating the No. 1 seed is great, but we have to continue to hit the ball and compete hard.”
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