Chargers win second straight sectional title
May 31—OSGOOD — The baseball sectional championship game at Jac-Cen-Del Monday came down to the rubber match between county rivals North Decatur (10-15) and South Decatur (17-8). Each team beat the other during the regular season. In the third meeting, North scored two runs in the third inning to push the lead to 6-3 en route to the 8-4 victory and sectional championship.
This is the second straight sectional title for the Chargers. North will face Greenwood Christian (14-12-1) at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Morristown Regional.
North got things moving in the first inning. Reid Messer's double drove in a run. The Chargers plated four runs in the first.
South fought back to close the gap to 4-3 in the second. Colby Rathburn and Jansen McDonald both drove in runs for the Cougars.
North pulled away for good with two runs in the third inning. James Evans had a sacrifice fly that drove in a run.
Tyler Dean was the winning pitcher for North. Dean surrendered no runs on two hits through 4.2 innings with four strike outs. Brayden Hancock started the game for North. The southpaw lasted 2.1 innings, allowing five hits and four runs while striking out one and walking one.
JP Scudder took the loss for South, allowing five hits and four runs through six innings, striking out six. Avery Seegers started the game for South, allowing four hits and four runs.
North racked up nine hits in the game. Nolan Burkhart went 3-for-4 at the plate with two singles and a double. Messer was 2-for-2 at the plate with a single, double, walk, hit by pitch and RBI.
Tyler Field, Ty Litmer, Xander Jones and Brayden Hancock all added a single. Jones and Evans both drove in two runs for the Chargers.
South's offense was led by Brock Lane with three singles. Brady Lane added a pair of singles. Scudder had a single and double. McDonald finished with a single, double and two RBIs. Rathburn had a double and one RBI. Seegers and Devin Pate both had a single.
In the semifinals, South defeated Waldron 5-1 and North defeated JCD 12-0.
Members of the all-sectional team included North's Reid Messer, Nolan Burkhart, Brayden Hancock and Xander Jones; South's Devin Pate, Avery Seegers and Grady Scudders; Waldron's Bryce Yarling and Jacob Bennett; JCD's Brady Borgman and Clark Dwenger; Southwestern's Matthew Clements and Oliver James; and Oldenburg Academy's Jacob Hoff and Jacob Stenger.
Regional tickets will be $10 per person and can be purchased beforehand online (https://gofan.co/app/events/993304) or at the gate. Gates open at 1 p.m. to fans.
Due to the baseball regional game being at 2 p.m., North Decatur Jr. Sr. High School will be moving graduation to 11 a.m. June 3.
Contact Aaron Kirchoff at aaron.kirchoff@greensburgdailynews.com
