Staff report
TROY — Sidney was hoping to wrap up a second straight trip to the State Legion Tournament on Saturday night in the district finals against Piqua.
But Post 217 couldn’t come up with the key hit when it needed to, and Piqua held on for a 4-2 victory that forced a deciding game Sunday night, also against Piqua and also at Troy’s Duke Park.
Piqua pitcher Seth Clayton was roughed up for eight runs in the first inning last Monday night in the regular-season finale against Sidney at Custenborder Field. But on Saturday, he scattered eight hits and got the big outs when he needed them in going the distance in Post 184’s victory. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Perhaps his biggest out of the game came in the bottom of the ninth. After retiring the first two batters, Clayton gave up a double to Deion Puthoff and single to Austin Knapke. But with the tying runs aboard, Clayton was able to get the final out on a ground ball to preserve the win.
Piqua took a 2-0 lead in the third off Sidney starter Maddux Liles, whose control was not what he would have liked.
Dylan Arnold singled and stole second, was sacrificed to third and and scored on Travis Smith’s sacrifice fly. Then with two out and nobody on, Michael Ashcraft and Howie Ludwig both singled ahead of back-to-back walks that forced in the second run of the inning.
Sidney cut it to 2-1 in the sixth when Kyle Subler singled in Austin McLain, who had also singled. It appeared Post 217 was on the verge of a big uprising when Josh Nixon followed with a single and then stole second to put runners on second and third with just one out. But Clayton struck out the next hitter and then got the final out on a grounder to short to limit the damage.
Piqua made it 3-1 in the seventh when Sidney pitcher Daniel Kearns hit the leadoff batter, and then gave up a two-out RBI single to Clayton.
Sidney closed to within 3-2 in the eighth when McLain and Keeton McEldowney singled, and McLain later scored on a wild pitch. With one out and the tying run on second, Clayton got back-to-back strikeouts, both looking, to end the rally.
Piqua got an insurance run in the ninth to make it 4-2, and again it was with two outs. Smith and Ludwig both walked and Clayton singled to score Smith.
The winner of Sunday night’s game advances to the state tournament, which begins on July 26 in Lancaster. The Region 2 winner will play the Region 5 winner at 7 p.m. in the first game in Lancaster.
Sidney took a 25-14 record into Sunday night’s game. Last summer, Post 217 won three times at state and wound up finishing third.
