Baseball season ends in sectional semifinal
- Details
- Category: Sports
- Published on Wednesday, 01 June 2011 15:57
- Written by Matt Sheaffer
It doesn’t get much more competitive than this.
IVC varsity baseball faced off against Rock Ridge last Friday at home in the sectional semifinal, which turned out to be one of the most closely contested games of the season. With the score deadlocked at 0-0 throughout the first 11 innings, it all came down to securing that first run.
It was a “great pitcher’s duel” remarked Coach Jerry Rashid. “Braden McIntyre pitched his heart out.” Indeed he did – with thirteen strikeouts and just three hits pitched throughout twelve straight innings, there wasn’t much more that anyone could have asked for out of McIntyre. “He did great.”
Offensively, there wasn’t much action to report. Austin Youngman had IVC’s only hit of the game, and that was about it. Rock Ridge played tough defense, and their pitching was on par with McIntyre’s. “There were very few opportunities for us,” said the coach.
Rain began during the eleventh inning and got a little more intense in the twelfth, which may have played a role in ending the game. Rock Ridge scored all four of their points in the top of the twelfth right when the weather worsened, and the Ghosts were unable to respond in kind. IVC lost 4-0.
The Ghosts finished their season with a record of 22-10 overall and 9-1 in the conference. IVC also claimed the regional championship title for the tenth year in a row this season.
The team will be saying goodbye to ten graduating seniors this year: Brock Adcock, Trever Black, Alex Bradley, Alex Koch, Nick McCready, Braden McIntyre, Dan Semtner, Matt Welch, Cam Wilmington, and Austin Youngman. “Our senior class was outstanding throughout the year,” stated Coach Rashid. “They were great leaders and did an excellent job for us…they certainly upheld the foundations of our baseball program.”
With such a large and talented group of athletes leaving the program, the coach now turns his focus toward developing next year’s team. “I think we’ll be competitive,” he said, so long as the boys are willing to work hard during the off season. One thing is for certain – they’ve got some pretty big shoes to fill.
