In a back-and-forth affair, it was Simon Kenton who threw the last punch.
The Pioneers defeated Walton-Verona 10-7 in the 32nd district championship on Tuesday at the Walton-Verona Sports Complex, capturing their second consecutive title.
“We knew coming in that they were a good baseball team. Certainly, when we showed up today with their best pitcher going and our best pitcher going, we expected more of a 2-1 game, not a 10-7 game with all the back and forth,” Walton-Verona coach Clinton Coleman said.
Simon Kenton’s Logan Cones and Walton-Verona’s Mason Howard toed the rubber, Cones entering with a 3.69 ERA, Howard a 1.68 ERA. The slugfest certainly caught the coaches off guard.
“If you would have told me they had seven, I would have thought we lost. If you had told me we had 10, I would have thought it was over early. I don’t think anybody saw a 10-7 score coming with Howard and Kerns on the mound,” Simon Kenton head coach Troy Roberts said.
There was uncertainty whether the game would even be played due to the soggy conditions, but it would go on as scheduled. Even with the sun coming out and the rain going away, the weather still influenced the performances on both sides.
Early on, the Bearcats got settled in by taking a 1-0 lead off a Lance Coleman RBI. In the same inning, Simon Kenton struck back with a run of their own, tying the game at one.
Walton-Verona added two more runs in the second inning as Evan Kerns and Julius Dixon punched in a run apiece.
Pioneer pitcher Logan Cones had given up three runs, but the district tournament MVP kept his head the game and delivered a strikeout to get out of the inning.
“He just gives us an energy when he’s on the mound. We know if they score first and Logan is on the mound, we’re going to be in the game, we’re still going to be there,” Roberts said.
The scoring calmed down for a little bit, but Simon Kenton got hot as the middle of the lineup all scored a run.
After getting back down at the end of the third inning 4-3, the Bearcats answered with four runs themselves, due to Eddie Drohan’s three-run RBI.
Momentum was on Walton-Verona’s side as the fourth inning began, but not for long.
All-tournament team performer, Daniel Uhl sent a ball all the way back to the fence, for his own three-run RBI.
It wasn’t until the sixth inning when the scoreboard lit up again. With the game at 7-7, Evan Kerns replaced Mason Howard on the mound with runners on first and third.
“We knew going in that we were going to Evan if Mason needed relief today. It became pretty apparent early on his pitch count was going to get up and that we would need to go with Evan. He’s been solid all year and I’m certainly confident that if I had it to do over, I probably would have started him in that inning instead of sending Mason back out. That’s certainly on me,” said Coleman.
Three more runs were scored, in large part due to Evan Sheridan’s hit that would add two runs. Before the inning was over, Daniel Uhl’s sac bunt sent in another run.
Three more outs and the Pioneers were champions. Cone stepped up striking out the first batter and causing a flyout for the second out.
Cayden Smithers’ double got one last Bearcat on base, but the final out would follow with a groundout to the third.
Walton-Verona falls to 25-7, but have a chance for revenge in the region tournament.
“I thought the guys played hard, just didn’t give up. They kept scratching, just didn’t have it in the end. The goal would be to meet them in the finals here next week.” Coleman said.
For Simon Kenton, they’re going home with their 12th district title since 2010 and a No. 1 seed in the 8th region tournament.
“That’s what we were saying today. Hey, we just got to hit, we got to punch back. That’s what we preach to them. We’re never out of it,” Roberts said.
WALTON-VERONA – 120 – 400 – 0 7 – 9 – 2
SIMON KENTON – 103 – 303 – x 10 – 8 – 4
2B – (WV) Drohan 2, Coleman, Dixon, Smithers (SK) Sheridan, Uhl
WP – Cones LP – Howard