HAMLER – The ball may have hit a pebble, but who really knows?
The result was a two-run, wild-hop single for Maumee to take the lead.
The crazy-hop single over shortstop capped a 5-3 comeback victory for Maumee over Wapakoneta in the Division II baseball district final Monday at Patrick Henry.
The Redskins led 3-1 and were cruising with two outs in the sixth inning behind right-hander Gage Schenk. Maumee rallied to score two in the sixth to tie it at 3.
Then, in the seventh with two outs and runners at second and third, Tyler Archambeau hit a hot grounder up the middle on the shortstop side of the bag.
Wapak shortstop Manny Vorhees got there, but the ball hit something and rifled over his left shoulder for a two-run single.
That gave Maumee the 5-3 lead.
“He came in with a cutter and I got a good swing on it,’’ Archambeau said. “I rounded the base, saw it was in the outfield and I got overwhelmed with joy with being able to help the team out.’’
Added Wapakoneta coach Jason Brandt, “Manny (Vorhees) tried to knock it down, but there was no play for him.’’
Maumee (20-8) advances to the regional against Parma Padua Franciscan at 5 p.m. Thursday at Bowling Green’s Carter Park.
Wapakoneta, the Western Buckeye League champion, ends its season 20-4.
“That’s baseball,” Brandt said. “That’s why we love it. That’s why we hate it.’’
Maumee kept putting the ball in play with 11 hits, including six in the final two innings.
“Our kids have been grinding all year long,” Maumee coach Cam Coutcher said. “We got runners on and we put the ball out there and they weren’t able to make the play and we capitalized. I’m really proud of our guys for battling the whole game.’’
Added Archambeau, “This is the scrappiest team I’ve ever played on. We know we’re never out of it.’’
Schenk was dominate into the sixth with his 85 mph fastball and moving breaking ball.
He retired the first two batters in the sixth with a 3-1 lead.
Then Maumee’s Caleb Brown reached on a parachute single to center and Devon Cleghorn singled to deep short.
John Henry then hit a towering fly to right. The Wapak right fielder turned around on the ball and it landed at the base of the right-field fence for a two-run double.
That tied the game at 3.
“They put the bat on the ball and made us make plays,” Brandt said. “The ball they hit off the wall with two outs, when it left the bat, I thought it was going to be an easy catch. Then I saw our right fielder going back and turning different directions, I knew it was hit a little better than what I thought.’’
The Redskins had a huge chance in the home sixth when Wyatt Moyler walked, Bubba Miller singled and Schenk reached on a sacrifice bunt and an error on the pitcher.
With the bases loaded and one out, Joel Roediger hit a hard grounder to shortstop Jordan Key, who was playing back, and the Panthers completed a short-to-second-to-first double play.
“I had the middle (infielders) back (the corner infielders were in),’’ Coutcher said. “And he hit the ball in the perfect spot for us to turn two on that. I rolled the dice a little bit in not playing everyone in and it worked.’’
Brandt said, “I saw them (Maumee’s middle infielders) back, but I was shocked they had them back. I figured a tie game, you’ll bring everyone in. And if they are in, that ball is by them and we score two runs.’’
With Maddux Liles pitching in the seventh, Maumee’s Zach Marvin singled and Key reached on a bunt single. Both runners were bunted over to put runners on second and third.
With two outs, that’s when Archambeau hit his two-run single over Vorhees’ shoulder at short.
Schenk worked 5 2/3 innings and gave up three runs, all earned, on eight hits. He struck out five and walked none. Schenk threw 87 pitches, 62 for strikes.
Matt Burkett pitched the final three innings for Maumee to earn the win. He gave up no runs on one hit. He struck out two and walked two.
Moyler went 2 for 2 for the Redskins.
Wapak took a 1-0 lead in the second. The Redskins scored two in the third to make it 3-0. Vorhees and Michael Burton both and RBI singles.
Maumee scored a run in the fourth to get within 3-1.
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