Saturday, May 15, 1999
Elder upsets Fairfield to win sectional
BY DAVE SCHUTTE
Enquirer contributor
HAMILTON — If Elder baseball coach Mark Thompson presented a game ball to the most valuable player following victories, Friday's decision would have been a tough call.
“It's been this way all season,” Thompson said following Elder's 6-3 upset of No. 2-seed Fairfield in the Division I sectional championship game at Hamilton Stadium.
“Every game a different player steps up and gets it done. This is one of the most enjoyable group of kids I've coached. Everyone gets along and there's no problems.”
Standouts Friday were pitchers Dan Bachman and David Hummel, sophomore outfielder Richie Jones, catcher Aaron Brown and pinch-hitter Kevin Weller.
Jones, besides reaching base three times (two walks and hit by pitch) and scoring a run in the first inning, made two outstanding defensive plays (third and sixth innings) in center field.
“I transferred from Taylor and never dreamed I would make the varsity,” Jones said. “Coming in, I heard that sophomores never play up.”
Jones made a diving catch on a line drive off the bat of John Myles in the third inning, cutting off Fairfield two-run rally that tied the score at 2-2. He made another great play in the sixth.
Bachman, who recently returned to the Elder lineup after sitting out five weeks with a knee injury, didn't allow an earned run the final three innings. He struck out three and allowed only one hit. “When I went down with the injury and had surgery, I thought the season was over,” Bachman said. “I went through therapy, and now I feel stronger.”
Except for the two-run third inning, Hummel kept the Fairfield batters off stride. “Dan's a left-hander, and Fairfield has three left-hand batters at the top of the lineup; it was our plan to use him at some point,” Thompson said. “Both guys did a great job today.”
One of the keys in the game for Elder was the three-run fourth inning, which came after Fairfield had tied the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the third.
“Kevin (Weller) has delevered some big hits this season in clutch situations,” Thompson said. “That's why we stuck in there tonight.”
Jeff Schmutte led off the Elder fourth with an infield single. Weller, pinch-hitting for Kurt Rosenacker, tripled off the right-field fence.
Moments later, Weller scored what proved to be the winning run on Steve Witterstaetter's single.
This was Elder's fourth sectional championship in the last five seasons. The Panthers advance to the district championship game against Centerville next week at Midland.
Elder ....... 110 310 0—6 8 1
Fairfield ....... 002 010 0—3 7 2
WP—Hummel (5-1). LP—Keel (4-2). Hitting leaders: E—Brown 2-3; Jones 2 RBI; Price 2B; McClarnon 2B; Weller 2B. F—Carpenter 2-4; Meade 2B. Records: Elder 23-6, Fairfield 21-5.
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