Page 23 - 2016-17 Baseball State Finals Program

Last Year’s State Finals in Review

Daleville Shuts Out Lanesville for School’s First Crown in any Sport
Daleville earned its first state title in any sport, thanks
in large part to the pitching of Brandon Vermillion and a big
hit from classmate Elliott Jackson. The senior pitched a
complete-game shutout, leading the Broncos past Lanesville
4-0 in the Class A baseball championship game.
Vermillion (11-4) allowed just four hits and one walk while
striking out 11 batters. After getting out of jams in the third
and fourth innings, he retired the final 11 batters of the game.
The win was the 400th for Coach Terry Turner in 26 years at
Daleville.
Daleville put up the game’s first run in the top of the fourth
inning with one swing of the bat, thanks to T.J. Price’s home
run – his fifth of the season – over the leftfield fence to lead
off the inning. The Broncos would strike again in a big way in
the top of the fifth. Spencer Horsley singled with one out, and
Corbin Maddox reached first on an error, moving Horsley to
second. A double steal moved the pair to second and third;
following a strikeout, Price was intentionally walked to load the
bases.
Jackson then laced a drive over first base that just stayed
fair and headed into the outfield. Horsley, Maddox and Price
all scored, giving Jackson 38 RBIs on the season and the
Broncos a 4-0 advantage.
Vermillion would put Lanesville down in order in the fifth,
sixth and seventh innings to close out the game.
Lanesville, in its first appearance in the baseball state
finals, finished 15-12 under Coach Zach Payne. Bube took the
loss for the Eagles, allowing one earned run and six hits over
six innings.
Providence Prevails on Walk-Off Sacrifice Bunt
Jay Lorenz delivered a perfect bunt with the bases loaded
in the bottom of the seventh inning to score teammate Jake
Katchur, giving Providence a 7-6 win against top-ranked
Lafayette Central Catholic in the Class 2A baseball champion-
ship game.
The fourth-ranked Pioneers (27-3) had loaded the bases
on three walks before Lorenz – who finished the day 3-4 with
two runs batted in – laid down the bunt that scored Katchur,
who was pinch running. It was the first baseball state title for
the Scott Hornung-coached Pioneers.
The finish capped a back-and-forth contest that saw the
Knights (33-2) making their state-record ninth appearance in
the state finals including back-to-back appearances in the 2A
final. Lafayette Central Catholic, coached by Tim Bordenet,
was trying to win its eighth baseball title, which would have
tied it with LaPorte for the most in state history.
A five-run rally in the bottom of the fourth inning pushed
the Pioneers in front 6-3. With one out, Joe Wilkinson walked,
and Lorenz and Juston Betz each singled. Brett Aria was hit
by a pitch to score Wilkinson, and Jake Lewis hit a line drive
into center field that brought home Lorenz, Betz and Aria.
Lewis wound up at third and then came home on Timmy
Borden’s sacrifice bunt.
The Knights tied the game two innings later. Jackson
Anthrop and Tyler Powers sandwiched a pair of singles
around an out, and Luke Schrader walked to load the bases.
Berumen then drew a walk to plate Anthony.
Lovell’s grounder to shortstop forced Berumen, but a
throwing error to first allowed Powers and Schrader to come
around and score, tying the game at 6. The Knights would put
two runners on base with one out in the top of the seventh
before Reece Davis struck out the next two batters.
Davis (5-0) pitched the final 1.2 innings and picked up the
win, striking out three and not allowing a run. Noah Richard-
son (7-1) took the loss, allowing one run in three innings.
IHSAA - Pure Spirit. Pure Sport! 23