By Ken Barhorst
TROY — Keeton McEldowney lined a triple to the gap in right-center to score Josh Nixon in the top of the 11th, and Nixon did the rest, retiring Piqua in order in the bottom of the 11th to give Sidney an 8-7 victory and a second straight berth in the State Legion Tournament.
The game, the Region 2 tournament championship, started on Sunday but was called with nobody out and a runner on second in the bottom of the ninth because of rain and lightning. Sidney was clinging to a 7-6 lead.
The game being suspended actually worked in Sidney’s favor because they could come back Monday with ace Josh Nixon, who could not pitch Sunday because of the pitch-count rule.
“I was ready to go,” said Nixon. “I felt good. But it wasn’t all me on the mound. Dion (Puthoff) made a couple good plays at third, and Kyle (Noble) made a nice pickup on a low throw to first. So the defense was strong behind me.”
When play resumed Monday night, and Nixon got the first two batters out, but Dylan Arnold lined a pitch to right that was called fair after a bit of hesitation by the home plate umpire. It went as a double and scored a run to tie the game up.
“It was close, but that’s just part of the game,” said Nixon.
The former Minster standout who now plays for the University of Dayton was not on the Post 217 roster at the start of the season. He was sent to play for the Grand Lake Mariners.
“I was with the Mariners at the start,” Nixon said. “They wanted me to work just on pitching but I wanted to get some at-bats. So I talked to the coaches and it was no problem for me to come back to Sidney. I called Pickle (Legion coach Jim Koewler) and asked if I could rejoin the team.”
And you can bet it didn’t take long for Koewler to answer.
After Piqua tied it, Sidney mounted a big threat in the top of the 10th when Kyle Subler reached on an error, Dan Berning had an infield single, and Noble walked in an excdellent at-bat that saw him smack two hard liners to left that landed just foul. But all three runners were stranded when the final out was recorded on a strikeout.
Nixon got the first two out in the bottom of the 10th before his curveball hit the next batter. But he got the final out on a hard shot to centerfield.
In the top of the 11th, Nixon started it off with a bunt single and was sacrificed to second by Dylan Albers. After Austin McLain popped out to short, McEldowney drilled a shot to right-center that scored Nixon easily with the go-ahead run.
“It was a 3-1 count so I knew he had to come in with a fastball,” said McEldowney. “It felt good when I hit it. I didn’t think it was out of the park, but I knew it was a hit. It felt good because it was 7-7 and in extra innings, and we were getting a little frustrated because we couldn’t get runners in.”
Sidney appeared to be on cruise control after building up a big lead with just three innings to play on Sunday night.
One run came cross in the top of the first when Post 217 loaded the bases with nobody out. But one runner was doubled off first on a fly ball to right, with the other two runners having to hold. But Dan Berning came through with an RBI single for the first run of the game.
Sidney made it 3-0 in the second without the benefit of a hit. Puthoff walked and Nixon was hit by a pitch. Puthoff came home on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Albers, then Nixon scored on a sacrifice fly by McLain.
The runs continued in the third inning, when Post 217 plated three more to make it 6-0 early on. Berning singled and Noble doubled, then Puthoff reached to load the bases. Then with one out, Albers came through with a two-run double and McLain’s fielder’s choice scored Puthoff.
Two innings later, Nixon doubled and came around to score on a throwing error to make it 7-0.
Meanwhile, Sidney starter Austin Knapke was sharp through six innings, allowing just two hits. But the roof caved in on Post 217 in the Piqua seventh, when Post 184 scored six times to make it a ball game again.
Sidney struggled in the field, and that helped the Piqua comeback in a big way.
“There were three plays we didn’t make in that inning,” said Sidney’s Koewler. “If we make just one of those plays, I think we win it in nine innings. But this has been a remarkable season. We’ll come out and score 15 runs or we win 3-2. We were on a roll around the Fourth of July holiday, but then we went down to Cambridge and finished 1-4. I don’t think the kids were focused. I think they would have rather been back at home for the Fourth. It took us a while to get focused again, but I think we’re ready for the state tournament.”
Despite McEldowney getting the big hit, the star at the plate was Berning, who finished with four singles. McEldowney had a single to go with his triple, Nixon and Albers both singled and doubled, Subler had two singles and Noble had a double.
Sidney will play the Region 5 winner in its first state tournament game next Wednesday in Lancaster at 7 p.m.
While the Region 2 tournament concluded Monday, the Region 5 tournament just got underway the same day. The teams in Region 5 are Portsmouth Post 23, Hillsboro Post 129, Chillicothe Post 757, Chillicothe Post 62, Circleville Post 134 and Waverly Post 142.
Game added
Sidney has added a game to its schedule leading up to the state tournament. Sidney will host the Dayton Diamondbacks Thursday at Custenborder Field at 7 p.m. The two teams met earlier this season, also at Custenborder.
