<p>Indian Creek had waited 25 years for a Johnson County baseball championship. A rain delay and extra innings were no big deal.</p>
<p>Dylan Sprong singled in the winning run with two out in the ninth to help the Braves to a 5-3 victory over Franklin. The title was the program’s first since 1993.</p>
<p>"It feels good to win a championship going into the postseason," Indian Creek coach Steve Mirizzi said. "One of our goals going into the season was definitely to win the county, and I think that gives us a little bit of an advantage going into the postseason. It had a tournament feel, close ballgame; just resilience from all of our guys. I’m so proud of these kids."</p>
<p>Luke Bramlett started the final rally with a two-out infield hit , and Cody Grider followed with a walk before Sprong dropped a hit along the line in shallow left to give Indian Creek (20-4) the lead. Xavier Ferris then scored on a wild pitch, and Jared DeHart retired the Grizzly Cubs in order in the bottom of the inning to seal it.</p>[sc:text-divider text-divider-title="Story continues below gallery" ]Click here to purchase photos from this gallery
<p>The Grizzly Cubs (11-14) had scored the tying run without a hit in the bottom of the seventh. The home side drew three walks, including one by George Admire to load the bases with two outs, before a wild pitch allowed Tyce Miller to sprint home and make it a 3-3 game.</p>
<p>DeHart, who had come on in relief of Trevor Ankney, didn’t let losing the lead shake his confidence.</p>
<p>"I started to settle down on the mound," he said. "Guys were just talking to me, keeping me in the game, and they just made plays. We all made plays tonight."</p>
<p>It appeared that inclement weather was going to continue its dominant run through the tourney when umpires stopped play with two out in the top of the second inning and no breaks in sight on the radar.</p>
<p>After a brief downpour, though, the teams decided to take one last stab at getting the game in — and amazingly, the rain stayed at bay.</p>
<p>The Braves struck first in the third. DeHart, Wyatt Phillips and Dustin Sprong led off with consecutive base hits and Bramlett dropped a two-run single just in front of a diving Luke Torrance in right field.</p>
<p>Two hit batters and an error allowed Indian Creek to push across another run in the fifth inning.</p>
<p>Franklin’s offense finally got a rally going in the bottom of the sixth. After the Grizzly Cubs chased Ankney with a two-out infield hit by Blake Dicken and a Kyle Davis walk, Luke Neville greeted DeHart with a base hit to right, scoring both runners to cut the deficit to one.</p>
<p>Ankney had powered through the delays and dampness to keep the Grizzly Cubs off the scoreboard until the sixth. The junior struck out nine while scattering four hits and five walks.</p>
<p>Offensively, DeHart had four of the Braves’ 12 hits, while Dustin and Dylan Sprong each added two. Luke Miles had a pair of hits for the Grizzly Cubs.</p>
<p>Indian Creek will return to action next Saturday against Broad Ripple in the Class 3A sectional at Bishop Chatard. Franklin faces Center Grove in the Class 4A Whiteland Sectional on Wednesday.</p>
