The fourth home run of Garrison Barile’s high school baseball career was adamant in its refusal to find a soft landing spot Saturday afternoon.
Instead, the Center Grove junior’s towering first-inning blast, his first round-tripper this season, bypassed any such option and instead bounced off the asphalt parking lot located well beyond the center-field fence.
Barile’s two-run homer was most memorable of the 13 hits the Class 4A No. 4 Trojans generated in downing previously undefeated Whiteland, 19-2, in five innings in a semifinal at the Johnson County tournament.
Host Center Grove (6-0-1), which will play Franklin for the championship on May 13, sent 15 batters to the plate in the opening frame alone, producing a dozen runs to seize control of the game after the Warriors took a 1-0 lead in the top half of the inning.
Every hit and run came with two out.
Barile’s homer off Whiteland junior Brayden Roy, who was relieving senior left-handed starter Caden Wilburn, proved to be the highlight.
“So I was going through my two-strike approach there because I got down with two strikes,” said Barile, the team’s No. 5 hitter, who doubled earlier in the inning. “I had the mindset of staying right-center the entire game, and it worked well with the first at-bat.
“He left me a pitch over the plate, and I made him regret it. I went down and got the ball, and really felt like it was a quality swing.”
Barile wasn’t able to witness the entire flight of the ball.
“I got out of the batter’s box fast, which I should have,” he said. “I knew it was off the bat hard, so I took a peek as I was getting down to first base and saw it hit the (parking lot). That’s when I knew.”
Eight different players had at least one hit for the Trojans, who average 14 runs a game entering tonight’s home contest against Columbus North.
Senior center fielder Mitchell Evans finished with a triple and two singles; joining Barile with two hits apiece were senior second baseman Sam Griffith and sophomore catcher AJ Beggs.
Center Grove pitcher Jacob Wilson did his part. The senior allowed four hits and struck out seven, including six straight over the third and fourth innings.
All told, one of the Trojans’ most complete efforts of the young season.
“We strung a lot of at-bats together. Wouldn’t let (Wilburn) off the hook,” Trojans coach Keith Hatfield said. “We really, really saw the ball well today, for whatever reason. Obviously, not a great day to hit, but our kids battled very well. I was really happy with them.
“They came in with a great approach. They didn’t chase a whole lot today, which is probably what I’m most happy with.”
Whiteland (5-1) scored first when speedy freshman leadoff hitter Maalik Perkins laid down a perfect bunt for a single, and sophomore third baseman Drew Helton followed with a single to center field.
Perkins eventually came home on a sacrifice fly from senior Joshua Medina. Perkins and Helton accounted for all of their team’s hits with two apiece.
