Baseball: Road ends for West Muskingum

WARSAW – West Muskingum finally ran out of comebacks.

The Tornadoes and ace hurler Dylan Lyons were locked in another pitcher's duel for four innings in their Division III district final against West Lafayette Ridgewood, but the Generals scored three times in the fifth to break it open.

It was more than enough for Caleb Tingle, who pitched a complete game on two days of rest to secure a 5-1 win on a sun-splashed Saturday at River View's Ron Tisko Field.

The Tornadoes, who finished 16-12, posted late-game comebacks in wins against Belmont Union Local and Cadiz Harrison Central in the sectional, then shut out top-seeded Sugarcreek Garaway to reach their first district final since 1993.

There was no such magic on Saturday. Tingle induced a double play to end the game after two batters reached.

Ridgewood (20-7) won its seventh district title and second in three years.

"With the top of the order up in the seventh, we were right where we wanted to be," West coach Jason Wilkin said. "The first guy got a hit and then (we had) bad luck. Everybody hit the ball (that inning)."

West held an 8-7 edge in hits but Lyons couldn't overcome a rare bout of wildness in the fifth, when he walked four straight batters.

After the final walk sent home a run, Dillan Shepler followed with a sacrifice fly before a two-out error at shortstop made it 4-0.

Lyons walked more than two batters only once in 14 previous appearances.

"He was a little worried about the umpire squeezing him a little bit, and it looked from our angle that stuff was close, but I don't know why (the zone) changed," Wilkin said. "The umpire said they were high balls, but whatever, he's going to work through that."

West rallied in the bottom of the fifth, getting a run-scoring single from Alex Lynch before loading the bases with one out.

Like he did in other tight spots during the game, however, Tingle had an answer.

In this instance, he struck out Drew McKenzie with a sharp curveball before inducing Greg Kanavel to ground out.

The next inning, the Generals got the run back when Logan Slusser singled home Braeden Smith.

"We outhit them, but we just couldn't get a hit when we needed one," Wilkin said. "They were getting hits with guys in scoring position and were leaving them on base."

Nick Hart, Seth Mirgon and Lynch had two singles for West. Lyons pitched a complete game with six strikeouts, five walks and hit a batter.

He broke the school's career strikeout record Saturday, a mark established in 1962.

"He's one of the better pitchers I've ever coached," Wilkin said. "In two years we've never taken him out of a game. I almost did today but I went out there and he wanted to fight through it. He's just a warrior."

Wilkin hopes his team will be remembered as one that brought some positive vibes back to an athletic program that has endured its share of struggles in recent years.

"I just think it has been big for the whole school and the community, all of these people showing up," Wilkin said. "I think it will carry over into all of the sports, football first and soccer, and then filter right through. Hopefully it gives confidence to all of the kids."

sblackburn@zanesvilletimesrecorder.com

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Twitter: @SamBlackburnTR