By KEVIN HARRIS
NEW ALBANY – Jeffersonville advanced to Friday’s Hoosier
Hills Conference Tournament championship game Wednesday at Mt. Tabor Field by
rolling past rival New Albany 12-5.
The Red Devils (11-8), who are the
defending HHC Tournament champions, will play at Class 4A No. 5 Bedford North
Lawrence (17-2) in the Hoosier Hills final at 6 p.m. Friday. The Bulldogs
(10-7) will travel to Columbus East (12-5) at 5:30 p.m. Friday for the HHC
third-place contest. New Albany had its winning streak end at six games.
The Jeff player who played a big
role in Wednesday’s victory was Ethan English.
The junior went 2-for-5 with a
double, a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored. English’s homer was a
two-run blast in the top of the first inning to put the Red Devils up 2-0.
English earned the victory on the mound
in relief. He relieved starter Gabe Bierman, who was battling an illness
Wednesday, in the bottom of the third inning. English proceeded to pitch 4 1/3
innings of scoreless and hitless ball. He struck out seven and walked two.
Another Red Devil who had a huge
night at the plate was Jack Ellis. The sophomore was 3-for-5 with a pair of
homers, four RBIs and three runs scored. He also had a stolen base.
Ellis’ two homers were a solo shot
in the top of the third to put Jeff up 4-3 and a two-run homer in a three-run
seventh inning.
Also for the Red Devils, Drew
Taylor came home three times, Mike Minton scored twice and Bennie Day had two
RBIs. In his 2 2/3 innings of work, Bierman allowed five runs (four earned) on
three hits and five walks.
“It was a great team win,” Jeff
head coach Derek Ellis said. “Gabe was a little under the weather and didn’t
pitch well. But Ethan English came in and did a great job. English and (Jack)
Ellis provided the power and Taylor, Minton, Day and (Hunter) Schmitz swung it
well tonight.”
Despite scoring five runs, all
coming in the first three innings, the Bulldogs managed only three hits. Chase
Rudy collected a two-run single in the bottom of the first to deadlock the
score at two. Jacob Mullins had an RBI double and Steven Thom smacked an RBI
base hit.
New Albany reliever Owen Tanksley
got the loss. Replacing Bulldog starter Logan Charbonneau to start the fourth,
Tanksley threw two innings as he surrendered two runs (both earned) on three
hits. He walked one and struck out one.
In his three innings, Charbonneau
gave up five runs (all earned) on five hits with three walks and one strikeout.
Wednesday’s game was the second of
three meetings between the two longtime rivals this season. New Albany defeated
Jeff on April 19 at Don Poole Field 3-1. The Bulldogs and Red Devils will
square off in the Class 4A BNL Sectional later this month.
HHC TOURNAMENT
SEMIFINAL
JEFFERSONVILLE 12,
NEW ALBANY 5
Jeff 212 202 3-12 10 1
New Albany 212 000 0- 5 3 1
W – Ethan English. L – Owen Tanksley. 2B – Drew Taylor (J),
English (J), Mike Minton (J), Bennie Day (J), Jacob Mullins (NA). HR – English
(J), Jack Ellis 2 (J).
Records – Jeff 11-8, New Albany 10-7.
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