Most of Center Grove’s current baseball players weren’t in the dugout when Indian Creek came to town and beat the Trojans on their own field on the way to Johnson County tournament titles in 2018 and 2019.
That doesn’t mean they weren’t aware of it.
The Class 4A No. 5 Trojans finally got a chance for payback two years later and took full advantage, swinging their way to a convincing 14-4 five-inning victory on Tuesday in the opening round of this year’s county tourney.
Junior Mitchell Evans, who was 2 for 4 with a two-run homer, was the only Trojan in uniform for both this game and the 11-2 beating the Braves laid on his team two years ago.
"We were expecting to win against Indian Creek (in 2019), but they came to our place and then embarrassed us," Evans said. "It felt good to get the win this time."
"There was definitely some talk of us getting a little revenge," Center Grove coach Keith Hatfield said. "I wouldn’t say I harped on it, but the team was definitely aware."
The Braves (1-3) struck first, grabbing an early two-run lead when Jackson Wang led off the game with a base hit and Mason Britt took the first pitch he saw over the wall in left center field.
Center Grove, though, answered back with a five-run surge in the bottom of the first. Evans reached on a leadoff single and Drew Culbertson walked, and the two eventually scored on an error and a Collin Taylor sacrifice fly, respectively. Grant Sawa added a two-run double that plated Owen Guilfoy and Garrison Barile with the go-ahead runs, and Asa Christie tacked on an RBI infield single to make it 5-2.
After a scoreless second inning, the Trojans (3-1) blew the game wide open with a six-run third.
Barile and Sawa clubbed back-to-back homers to left center to knock Indian Creek starter Drew Gavin out of the game, and after reliever Jalen Ramey walked Christie, Matthew Sauter delivered an RBI double and Evans hit a two-run blast to make it 10-2. Culbertson then doubled and scored on an infield hit by Owen Guilfoy.
That was more than enough cushion for starting pitcher Caden Curry, who worked through the fourth inning and allowed only one more hit after the Britt homer.
"One thing that we’ve done in all of our games except for Columbus North is we’ve hit," Hatfield said.
Indian Creek punched back one more time in the top of the fifth, greeting reliever Charlie Bemis with three straight hits and plating runs on an RBI single by Britt and a wild pitch. Bemis settled down, though, and got consecutive strikeouts to strand runners on second and third with the score at 11-4.
The Trojans were able to finish the game off in the bottom of the inning, loading the bases and scoring the final three runs on an RBI fielder’s choice by Barile and a pair of wild pitches that brought Sam Griffith and then Barile in from third base.
"You can’t let off on a team like that," Indian Creek coach Steve Mirizzi said of Center Grove. "They’re solid 1 through 9, they’ve got the pitching, they’ve got the fielding, so anytime you let up on a team like that the tables will turn on you pretty quick."
The Trojans still have a home-and-home series against Warren Central before the tournament resumes with Saturday’s semifinal matchup against Greenwood Christian, but they’re intent on sealing the deal with two more wins this weekend.
"We definitely want to bring the county championship back to Center Grove," Hatfield said, "so we’re going to be doing everything that we can to win it."
