By KEVIN HARRIS
LOUISVILLE – The Jeffersonville Red Devils went 3-2 in
arguably the most challenging week of their 2017 schedule last week. And it
could have easily been 4-1.
Jeff came really close to getting that fourth victory last Saturday
at Bobby Green Field, as it lost to five-time Kentucky state champion Pleasure
Ridge Park 3-2.
The Red Devils (7-7) began last week with a 13-5 home loss
to Class 2A No. 3 and defending 2A state champion Providence on April 24.
Jeff, though, bounced back by winning three games in a row. After
defeating visiting North Harrison last Tuesday in five innings 16-1, the host Red
Devils stunned Louisville St. Xavier, the second-ranked squad in Kentucky, last
Thursday at Don Poole Field 5-1.
Then last Friday, Jeff pulled off another upset by downing
Class 3A No. 1 Jasper at Poole Field 8-2.
“(Last) week, if we were .500, that’s a pretty good
achievement,” Red Devil head coach Derek Ellis said. “You saw who we were
playing. There are no cupcakes on our schedule.”
Ellis says there is one primary reason why his program plays
a difficult slate – to prepare for one of the most competitive Class 4A sectionals
in Indiana. This year’s sectional will be hosted by Hoosier Hills Conference
rival Bedford North Lawrence.
“That’s why we play these guys. That’s why you play a tough
schedule, so we’ll be ready for sectional,” Ellis said.
A key defensive play by Jeff left fielder Drew Taylor provided
the Red Devils some momentum in the bottom of the third inning against PRP.
Panther sophomore catcher Jarrett Troklus led off the frame
with an opposite-field double off Red Devil starter Jacob Cochrum. PRP’s Luke
Creech, who came in as a courtesy runner for Troklus, got sacrificed to third
base by teammate Dalton Smith.
The next batter, junior Noah McDonald, flied out to Taylor
in left. Creech attempted to score, but Taylor threw a missile to Red Devil
catcher Jackson Kruer to complete the double play and end the inning.
Ellis said Taylor redeemed himself on the assist after
making a defensive miscue earlier in the contest.
“It was a big play. I think he had some adrenaline going
because of the ball he missed earlier,” Ellis said. “That was a big make-up, so
we’ll take that.”
The Panthers (20-2) took a 1-0 lead in the fourth. Third
baseman Nick Rucker smacked a one-out double that reached the left-field fence,
driving in junior Reed Blaszczyk from second.
The Red Devils responded with a pair of scores in the top of
the fifth to grab a 2-1 advantage.
With one out, Taylor singled to left off PRP starter Dallas
Glass and proceeded to steal second. That was followed by junior second baseman
Bailey Falkenstein drilling an RBI double off the left-field fence to plate
Taylor and tie the contest at one.
After Ethan English struck out swinging, senior designated
hitter Cam Northern launched his own one-run double that banged off the
left-field fence to plate pinch-runner Nick Grider from second.
“I liked our momentum at that point,” Ellis said. “I was pretty
proud of those guys (Falkenstein and Northern) for the way they swung it. Cameron
struck out his previous two times and we were thinking about possibly hitting
somebody for him and I didn’t want to do that. I wanted my senior to go up (to
the plate) and he proved why he’s one of our best players. He got behind in the
count like he was all day, but he battled and hit the ball off the wall. And
Bailey before him put a great swing on the ball.”
In the bottom of the sixth, the Panthers deadlocked the
score at two on a questionable decision by the umpires.
With runners at second and third with no outs, junior first
baseman Matt Cavanaugh laid down a squeeze bunt. Blaszczyk headed to home plate
from third and slid safely under Kruer’s tag.
However, the Jeff coaches argued that Cavanaugh, who was
subbed for earlier in the game, did not report back into the game to the umpires
prior to his at-bat and should be called out. Therefore, the run would not
count.
The umpires ruled that Cavanaugh was out, but they still
counted the run and kept the game tied.
“They allowed the run because they said they were completely
unsure of that rule,” Ellis said. “The umpires did a pretty decent job. But on that
particular play, the rule is he’s out and the guy on third goes back.”
The Panthers took the lead for good on the next at-bat.
Designated hitter Dylan Carnes hit a fly ball to right. Rucker tagged up at third
and just beat the throw home.
The Red Devils got runners on first and second in the top of
the seventh against PRP reliever Bryce Phillips, who got relieved by David
Aguilar. But Jeff’s Jack Ellis ended the game by flying out to center off
Aguilar.
“We were a break or two away from winning the ballgame,”
Derek Ellis said. “We’ve been swinging the bats pretty well and we hit it. We just
didn’t get some timely hits early and left some guys on base. We left some guys
on base here that probably should’ve gotten in. This was a test and it came
down to the last.”
Taylor was the only multihit Red Devil, going 2-for-4 with a
run scored. Cochrum pitched a complete game as his record dropped to 2-3. He
allowed three runs (all earned) on seven hits with a strikeout and no walks.
“Overall, I like the way we’re playing the last three games,
even this game despite not coming out with the victory,” Coach Ellis said. “There
were a lot of positives to take away from this. We’re going to walk out of here
with a lot of positives because we did a lot of things well today.”
PLEASURE RIDGE PARK
3, JEFFERSONVILLE 2
Jeff 000 020 0-2 8 2
PRP 000 102 x-3 7 0
W – Bryce Phillips. L – Jacob Cochrum (2-3). S – David
Aguilar. 2B – Bailey Falkenstein (J), Cam Northern (J), Nick Rucker 2 (PRP),
Noah McDonald (PRP).
Records – Jeff 7-7, PRP 20-2.
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