By KEVIN HARRIS
CLARKSVILLE – It has been a common occurrence for the
Providence Pioneers the last couple of seasons when ace pitcher Jake Lewis is
on the mound.
Get an early lead and let the talented left-hander take care
of the rest.
Lewis and his Providence teammates followed that successful
script again last Saturday at Memorial Field. The senior southpaw threw a
one-hitter in leading the No. 2 Pioneers to a 3-1 victory over No. 3 South
Spencer in the Class 2A Providence Regional championship game. It was the first
time in program history that Providence has won the regional two seasons in a
row. It was the Pioneers’ sixth regional title overall.
“This regional this year is a lot better than it was last
year,” Lewis said. “I mean it was the same teams, but both of the teams
(Providence played) were a lot better. South Spencer was a really good team
coming (into the regional). We came in with the mindset that we knew we were a
good team and we knew what we had to do.”
The defending Class 2A state champion Pioneers (28-4) will
face third-ranked Indianapolis Ritter (26-3) in the Class 2A Plainfield
Semistate at 1 p.m. this coming Saturday. Ritter and South Spencer (27-6) shared
the No. 3 ranking in the final Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association
Class 2A poll.
Lewis, an Eastern Kentucky University recruit, struck out
eight and walked two. The lone run he gave up was earned.
“He was magical tonight. That’s who he was last year. The
last three weeks he hasn’t had mastery of his pitches. We did a little
fine-tuning this week,” Providence head coach Scott Hornung said. “That was a
hell of a team. That was a hell of a game, and for him to come out and throw
that type of a game was so impressive.”
Like he has done throughout his outstanding career, Lewis
did an efficient job of mixing his fastball, change-up and breaking pitches.
“My fastball and change-up were working really well. I was
really feeling confident in the (strike) zone,” Lewis said. “This week I worked
on staying within myself because I knew my defense was really good and they
will always have my back. I was just trying to throw at barrels (of the bats).
I was just attacking the zone.”
Lewis, who is Providence’s all-time wins leader, had a no-hitter
for 6 2/3 innings. But it got broken up in the top of the seventh inning when
the Rebels scored their lone run.
Lewis began the inning by issuing a walk to South Spencer
junior Manning Webb. Webb then advanced to second and third base on consecutive
wild pitches.
“I was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I needed to focus back
in,” Lewis said. “I think I was getting a little like I was ready to get it
over with, so that caused me to get up into the zone.”
Lewis, though, bounced back by striking out Rebel seniors Sammy Rowan and Caleb Helms.
Lewis, though, bounced back by striking out Rebel seniors Sammy Rowan and Caleb Helms.
That was followed by South Spencer first baseman Matthew
Bunch lining an RBI single into left field to drive in Webb. But after Lewis
walked Dalton Schneider, the Providence starter sealed the regional title by
striking out Rebel senior Brice Stuteville.
Once Lewis fanned Stuteville, the Pioneers celebrated with a
huge dogpile on the mound.
“I was doing some praying, so that never hurts,” Hornung
said about the last inning while watching Lewis work out of the game-ending
jam. “He just stayed composed. We just had some eye contact about you’ve really
worked hard for this and just keep pushing. He’s incredible. He’s (the record holder)
for career wins for our school pitching-wise for a reason. He’s done a lot of
good things in four years.”
Along with his standout pitching performance, Lewis arguably
had the most crucial plate appearance in the game.
With one out in the bottom of the third, Providence got its
next three batters on base against Helms, who started for South Spencer. Junior
Nathan Proctor started the sequence with a single to center field. That was
followed by teammate Juston Betz reaching first on an error, and Pioneer right
fielder Kaden Williams smacking a base hit to center to load the bases.
Lewis worked the count full versus Helms, where he fouled
off three pitches with one of them being laced down the right-field line that
was a hair foul. Lewis then laid off on the payoff pitch – a curveball – to get
the walk and drive in the Pioneers’ first run.
“I was just trying to get a (sacrifice) fly or just drive
something,” Lewis said. “I was just battling and I fouled a few off and I hit
that one down the line. After that, I thought that he was going to come with
something off-speed or something that he will try to get me to chase. He came
with a curveball. It was a close pitch, but I laid off of it.
“We needed something. It’s just that run that gets you
going. It picks the guys up.”
Louisville commit Timmy Borden, the next batter, knocked in
two more runs with a single to left to give Providence a 3-0 lead.
“(Lewis’) at-bat was exceptional. It gave Timmy a chance to
come up and deliver his hit,” Hornung said. “It was critical – a great at-bat.”
Williams and Providence senior Parker Graf each went
2-for-3, with Williams scoring a run.
Hornung said this year’s quest to repeat as state champions has
been challenging. But he mentioned it is gratifying to witness his squad pull
out huge victories against very formidable opponents.
“This is harder than last year in a lot of respects,”
Hornung said. “This is harder just having to go through the steps again and get
that job done. Last year in sectional and regional, we didn’t really have any
challenges so to speak where we had to play a white-knuckle kind of game. We
knew this was going to be that – we knew it was. It’s so good to be able to
make good plays in big situations, and we did.”
SEMIFINAL
PROVIDENCE 9, AUSTIN 1
Pioneer starter Reece Davis earned his 10th win
of the 2017 campaign with a complete-game three-hitter. The junior right-hander
allowed one unearned run, while striking out six and walking one.
With the victory, Davis tied the single-season program record
for most wins. After the regional final, Hornung praised the outings from both
Davis and Lewis last Saturday.
“I felt our pitchers today were on. If we continue to get
that pitching like we did today, it makes it really tough on the other teams,”
Hornung said.
Graf went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored. Providence
catcher Adam Uhl also was 2-for-4. Lewis scored two runs along with collecting
a double and driving in a run.
Senior catcher Gavin Napier got all three hits for Austin
(20-8), going 3-for-3 with a run scored. Eagles’ starter Drew Buhr was the
losing pitcher. The sophomore right-hander threw 5 2/3 innings, giving up all
nine Providence runs (six earned) on eight hits. Buhr recorded three strikeouts
and two walks.
CLASS 2A PROVIDENCE
REGIONAL
CHAMPIONSHIP
PROVIDENCE 3, SOUTH
SPENCER 1
S. Spencer 000 000 1-1 1 3
Providence 003 000 x-3 6 2
W – Jake Lewis (9-2). L – Caleb Helms (7-3).
Records – Providence 28-4, South Spencer 27-6.
SEMIFINAL
PROVIDENCE 9, AUSTIN
1
Providence 300 033 0-9 9 2
Austin 001 000 0-1 3 2
W – Reece Davis (10-1). L – Drew Buhr (7-3). 2B – Lewis (P).
3B – Kaden Williams (P).
Records – Providence 27-4, Austin 20-8.
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