Jack Hendrix doesn’t have a “K” in his last name.
After Monday night’s 12-strikeout, complete game four-hitter to get Highlands to the 9th Region championship, maybe he should.
Hendrix was lights out in the pitcher’s duel between him and Conner’s Oliver Kerns, J.P. Donelan’s first inning single the lone run in the Bluebirds 1-0 victory over the Cougars in the 9th Region baseball tournament semifinals at Thomas More Stadium in Florence.
Hendrix, a senior commit to the University of Southern Indiana, had come in with just 24.1 innings pitched on the season. Even in the grinder victory over St. Henry in Sunday’s quarterfinals, a 5-4 Bluebirds victory in eight innings, the plan was to give Hendrix the ball all along on Monday.
“That’s why Zach’s (DeSylva) performance yesterday was so big. It allowed us to keep Jack available for today. We get an off day tomorrow and Jack is available to play shortstop on Wednesday,” Bluebirds coach Jeremy Baioni said. “He’s a man isn’t he? Three or four hits in the first round of the regional tournament and then come out with that performance on the mound? He was pretty dominant out there. Executed his pitches and really proud of him.”
The senior who also doubles as the primary shortstop, also scored the lone run of the game after drawing a one-out walk and eventually getting around on Donelan’s single.
That was all he needed as he allowed just one Conner runner to reach third base on the day.
“I just knew we needed to play a clean baseball game today and if I filled up the zone, I knew my defense would have my back. That was the plan going in and it worked out,” Hendrix said.
Outside of two Brayden Stidham hits in the early stages, the biggest Cougars threat posed came in the top of the fifth inning when Brody Mangold double to lead off the inning. Pinch-runner Brandon Bushman came in and was sacrificed over to third on a Logan Tucker fly ball to center. Hendrix then got Jackson Bucks to groundout to short, Ryan DeBurger eyeing Bushman down before throwing over to first for the second out and keeping Bushman at bay.
Ayden Lohr then stepped to the plate, the Cougars top hitter on the season with a .407 batting average, hit a line shot to left, but it was snagged by Logan Weber to end the half inning.
“Despite it all, had our chances. In the fifth you’ve got Ayden Lohr up, who is your best hitter. He crushes it and it’s right at them. That’s the game of baseball sometimes,” Cougars coach Brad Arlinghaus said. “It was a great game and came out on the wrong end. We didn’t make the adjustments we needed to at the plate and in the long haul that’s what got us.”
The last gasp for the Cougars came in the seventh, Cody Henson starting the inning off with a single and a sac bunt by Jeffrey Vest to get Henson to second. Then Hendrix did what he had been doing all game, turning Cougars back to the dugout and getting his 11th and 12th strikeouts of the game to seal the deal.
“We talk about how dudes show up when it matters. Dude is the term that we kind of use throughout baseball. It’s a complete guy that wants to compete, wants to win, wants to be on the biggest stage and that right there is Jack,” Baioni said.
Hendrix did it with his bat on Sunday, going 3-for-3 with a double, two walks and a run scored in the win over St. Henry. Monday it was his arm.
“We have a bunch of grinders on this team and I know when I need them to get it done, they’re gonna get it done,” Hendrix said.
They’ll now head to Wednesday’s championship, looking for their first region title since 2018, the last of a four-peat from 2015-18. The opponent will be Beechwood, who rallied for a thrilling 4-2 win over Dixie Heights in the second semifinal. It’s a matchup of the last seven region champions, the Tigers ending the Bluebirds reign in 2019 and winning the last three regional titles.
For Conner, someone had to lose this game. Oliver Kerns was in command after the shaky first inning in which he allowed two hits and two walks and the earned run on Donelan’s single. A second run tried to come around on the play, but Ayden Lohr delivered a throw to home to beat the Bluebirds runner for the third out.
“I think that’s the third game Oliver has lost 1-0 this year. One run in the first inning stands and that’s a tough way to go out. We’ve had the pitching all year, it’s just our offense kind of struggled and tonight was another one of those examples,” Arlinghaus said.
Kerns allowed just three hits the rest of the way, finishing with five hits allowed, the earned run, three walks and seven strikeouts. He didn’t really face any trouble again until the bottom of the sixth, the Bluebirds looking to add some insurance after back-to-back, one-out singles from Drew Barth and Luke Schneider. Donelan sacrificed them over to third on a sac fly, Brody Benke a few inches short of a line drive single to right as Cody Henson was able to snag it at second.
The loss puts an end to the high school careers of 13 seniors on the Conner roster. Despite not having a freshman season, they compiled a record of 75-39 over three seasons and two district titles.
“A lot of those guys have been starting since they were sophomores. They’ve put down a pretty big foundation. Success over the last three years and it’s time for our juniors and underclassmen to step up. All levels had strong years this year so it’s not like the cupboard is empty. Won’t be easy replacing those arms, those are the best arms I’ve ever had,” Arlinghaus said.
CONNER — 000-000-0 — 0-4-0
HIGHLANDS — 100-000-x — 1-5-0
2B — (C) Mangold
WP — Hendrix. LP — Kerns.
Records: Conner 26-13, Highlands 21-14
