Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — Trailing in the seventh inning, Waverly attempted to make one of the most improbably comebacks in recent time to punch its first ticket to the state tournamnet since 1954.
And the Tigers nearly pulled it off.
However, the hole was simply too deep to dig out of as the comeback fell short in a 7-5 loss to Indian Creek in Friday’s Division II regional final at Ohio University.
After the first two batters of the first inning were retired, Indian Creek (22-6) began to dig the hole for Waverly to fall in.
Sal Barcalow loggen an RBI single to bring home Landon Pownall, which was followed by a two-out, two-run single from Sylus Hyde to put the Redskins ahead 3-0 after the top of the first.
The Tigers (18-12) threatened in the second inning with runners on second and third, but struck out to end the threat. However, they managed a run in the third, scoring off a wild pitch to cut the lead to 3-1.
CREDIT: Nancy Harris/For SOSA
The two-run deficit wasn’t comfortable enough for the Redskins, so they added to the lead in a big way in the fifth.
The Redskins busted out four RBI singles — courtesy of Hyde, Stan Amis, Ty Householder and Caleb Bodo — to extend their lead to 7-1.
That was all the scoring on the evening for Redskins, but it left the Tigers reeling with a monumental task ahead of them if a comeback was going to happen.
They began the task of chipping away with an RBI single off the bat of Ben Nichols to bring the lead down to 7-2.
After a scoreless sixth, the game came down down to the final at-at for Waverly. With a runner on third, L.T. Jordan registered an RBI single to trim the lead to 7-3.
Jase Hurd stepped up next and laced an RBI double down the left field line, and later scored off a sacrifice fly from Hunter Hauck to bring the Tigers to within 7-5.
Waverly then managed to get another runner on the base paths, but the next two batters proceeded to fly out, ending the game and the Tigers’ tournament run.
Statistically, Nichols led the Tigers’ offense, going 3-for-4 with an RBI. Quinton Hurd followed, going 2-for-4 at the dish while Jase Hurd finished 1-for-4 with a double, an RBI and a run. Jordan also chipped in, going 1-for-3 alongside a walk, two runs and an RBI.
The Tigers’ season comes to an end after a mark of 19-12 and the team’s first district title since 2016.
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