JASPER
One bad inning was all it took for the Center Grove baseball team to see its season come to an end.
Jasper put up seven runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to send the Trojans home heartbroken with a 7-4 season-ending loss in the final of the Class 4A Jasper Regional Saturday.
Center Grove led 4-0 after four innings before Jasper closed the game with seven unanswered runs.
“It hurts right now. We were in complete control of that game for 4 1/2 innings, and the wheels fell off pretty quickly and we couldn’t rebound,” Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield said. “(Jasper) is a good team; they’re a really good program. They’re just a solid team up and down, but we were 29-5, and there’s not many teams year in and year out that can say they went 29-5. This group has a lot to keep their heads up about.”
Center Grove struck first in the top of the second. Owen Guilfoy walked, Caden Curry singled and Garrison Barile drove them both in with a double. Tyler Cerny was then hit by pitch, and both the runners advanced off a wild pitch. With runners in scoring position, Matthew Sauter drew a walk to load the bases. Two batters later, Sam Griffith walked to make it 3-0. Jasper then called for a pitching change, and the Wildcats retired the next batter to stop the bleeding.
The Trojans added to the lead in the next inning when Curry smashed the ball deep to center field for a solo home run that ended up hitting the light pole and deflecting back onto the field.
The Wildcat fans were mostly quiet after the first four innings due to outstanding pitching from Jacob Wilson, who had a perfect game going until it was broken up in the fifth inning when a walk, and double and a walk loaded the bases. Grant Stratton drove in two runs with a single to cut the deficit to 4-2. With runners on second and third after a double steal, a walk loaded the bases again for Kody Morton, who delivered an RBI single to make it 4-3 and force Wilson from the game.
Ben Murphy came on in relief, and Eli Hopf greeted him with a grand slam to put Jasper ahead for good.
The Trojans had one last opportunity to cut into the deficit in the top of the sixth when Grant Sawa was hit by pitch, Drew Culbertson doubled and another hit batter loaded the bases. The Wildcats called in a new pitcher, who struck out the final two batters to get out of the jam.
“I know this will drive a lot of the young guys who are coming back next year. I’m proud of this group,” Hatfield said. “I’m really, really proud of this group. I’m really proud of the senior class. They were extraordinary leaders all year long, better than what we could have asked for. This program is better off with them leaving than when they got here.”
Despite graduating a lot of seniors, the Trojans return the majority of their nucleus next spring.
“You hope that all the close games we played this year, you hope that you learn from them. They can put it in the back of their mind,” Hatfield said. “If we are fortunate to win another sectional next year and are in the regional, that they’re not surprised by anything, they know what to expect and they come out as hungry as ever.”
In the Trojans’ semifinal game against No. 2 Columbus North, all it took was one swing of the bat from Curry to secure a 3-1 victory.
Center Grove’s three runs came in the top of the third inning. Culbertson and Griffith drew walks to put runners on first and second, and Guilfoy got an infield hit to load the bases before Curry delivered a shot deep to center field to clear the bases for a 3-0 lead.
Columbus North started a mini-rally in the bottom of the sixth when Kyler McIntosh hit a solo home run to left field and Reese Harmon reached first base on an infield single. Two walks then loaded the bases with two outs, but the Trojans got out of the inning with a strikeout.
The Bull Dogs’ final chance came in the bottom of the seventh when Blake Stevens drew a one-out walk, and Bode reached first on a fielder’s choice before a double play ended the game.