Pitching, defense helps Skutt oust Pius X

 No comments  
 E-mail Story
 Print Story
  Share

 digg it!
 Facebook
 del.icio.us
Seed Newsvine
Fark It
Reddit

Text Size: 

Tools Sponsor

BY KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

Maybe the best game of the Class B state baseball tournament will be shuffled away as just an elimination contest.

But even the losing coach said it would be an injustice to ignore Omaha Skutt’s 1-0 victory over Lincoln Pius X on Thursday at Den Hartog Field.

“The fourth game of a tournament for both teams is not expected to be 1-0 with all kinds of defensive gems, but this one was one of the best games I’ve seen played,” said Pius X coach Troy Charf, whose team was eliminated while Skutt moved onto another elimination game later Thursday against Omaha Gross.

[+]Enlarge

Skutt starter Payton Brannen, who was 0-2 this season, held Pius X to just four hits and enjoyed the benefit of three double plays. He struck out six and walked just one, while Thunderbolt pitcher Ethan McWilliams was almost as effective. McWilliams allowed just six hits, struck out five and walked just one in his seven innings.

Skutt scored the game’s only run when Brannen singled and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Pius second baseman Dylan Weber then made a diving, over-the-head grab of a pop fly in short right field.

Skutt’s Michael Servais grounded to Weber, but the ball skipped off Weber’s glove, moving Brannen to third with two outs. Corey Stringer then singled to left-center to score Brannen.

“We get a grounder that squeezes through and that was it,” said Skutt coach Keith Engelkamp. “Otherwise, McWilliams had us off balance most of the game and shut down, what I think is a very good hitting team.

“We got the same kind of pitching from Brannen. Pius can swing the bat and they hit a lot of balls pretty hard, but we made play after play.”

The Thunderbolts didn’t get a hit until Pat Essay singled in the third. Aaron Molinaro walked and Eric Schleppenbach singled, but Brannen turned a double play to end the threat.

Pius slugger Alex Jones singled in the sixth but was erased on a double play when Skutt second baseman John Beutler scooped up a grounder and flipped the ball to shortstop John Elliott to start another double play.

Brennan, who was hit by a pitch in the fifth, then struck out two and got a third batter to ground out to end the game.

“We are a good hitting team that broke a lot of school offensive records and we just hit so many so hard right at them today,” Charf said. “Defense and pitching and a great game and there’s no reason to get down about losing a game played that well.

“We were the first Pius team to win a spring state tournament game since 1974, and we won two games in this tournament. That proves this team could play.”

Omaha Skutt 13, Omaha Gross 11

Omaha Skutt advanced to the championship game with the win against Gross. Michael Servais had a double and triple for the Sky Hawks, who finished with 16 hits on the night. Thomas Van Haute had four hits, including three doubles for Gross.

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstarcom.