by Malcolm Butler
With No. 3 seed Cedar Creek locked in a pitcher’s duel with No. 14 seed Central Private Wednesday night at JC Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, Ryan Coleman led off the bottom of the fourth for the Cougars.
Coleman lined a pitch to the right centerfield gap, raced around the bases, survived an overslide at third base and gave the Cougars new life.
Jax Doiron followed one batter later with a sacrifice fly to deep left field plating Coleman and the Cougars (25-5) never looked back in a 3-1 victory in the second round of the Select School Division IV playoffs.
“I was trying to keep my front side over the plate and see something to the right side,” said Coleman. “We have the scouting report where he loves the outside. He doesn’t like to come in except with the breaking ball. I was working in (batting practice) about just trying to send it to the right side. I got the change up and there it went.”
Creek ace Kade Luker, who picked up the complete-game victory on the mound, helped his own cause one inning later with a one-out triple to centerfield as the LSU commit scored on a wild pitch to give himself and his Cougar teammates a little breathing room.
Creek head coach Chad Yates said it’s what he has come to expect from Coleman and Luker.
“Anytime Coleman goes to the plate, we know we have an opportunity to do damage,” said Yates. “An extra base hit per se. … Kade we know we have the ability to find a gap as well. Every body knows their role and what they are capable of doing. These guys are gap guys.”
Runs didn’t come easy for either team as Luker and Central Private ace Sebastian Louple battled pitch for pitch over the majority of the game.
“I went down and watched Central Private last week and (Loupe) was a little off, but just watching him, I knew he could cause us trouble,” said Yates. “He came out and competed his butt off. We put some quality at bats against him and got a few breaks.”
The first break came in the bottom of the second inning. Conner Nichols led off with a walk and then stole second base. With two outs, Doiron hit a routine fly ball to shallow left field that Central Private’s Drew Martel dropped, allowing Nichols to score from second with the opening run of the game.
The Red Hawks responded in the top of the fourth inning, also capitalizing on a Cedar Creek miscue. After a leadoff walk to Eli McCumsey followed by a wild pitch, Central Private had a runner in scoring position with no outs.
A sacrifice bunt attempt by Laiken Laudermilk was then thrown away at first base by Luker, allowing McCumsey to score and tie the game at 1-1.
Yates said the fact his team hadn’t play a “real” game in two weeks was not a factor in a few early game mistakes.
“With the training we do each and every day, we are just trying to stay sharp,” said Yates. “We have competitions daily in practice because if we don’t then that’s when we lose our (edge).
“Our guys were anxious, but I love how they came out and competed.”
Central Private recorded three of their four hits against Luker in the first six batters sent to the plate with a pair of first inning singles and a leadoff single in the second. After that, the Cougars lefty was lights out, recording 12 strikeouts, including six straight over the second and third innings.
“Kade goes out there and competes every day, and we know if he is on the mound we have a good chance to win,” said Coleman. “We just have to get behind. We know if we can score a few runs, he is going to be nails. That’s what it boils down to.”
Yates agreed.
“I don’t think he felt like he was in a bind when he gave up (a couple of singles) in the first inning,” said Yates. “He is ahead of the game maturity wise. He has poise on the mound. He knows our guys have his back. And those guys know he is going to throw it. You saw at the end, when he wants to step on it, he can step on it.”
Cedar Creek now advances to face No. 6 seed Riverside, a 5-0 winner over Glenbrook. Yates said the exact date and game time will be determined tomorrow but that he hopes it will be next Wednesday.
