Newark's winning baseball season comes to bitter end in loss to St. Charles
NEWARK — The Newark baseball team excelled this season in tight, low-scoring games, but the Wildcats had the tables turned Wednesday at the worst of times.
No. 24 St. Charles used small ball to spark a big inning, and that sent No. 18 Newark to a disappointing defeat, 7-1, in a Division I second-round game at Joe Neff Field. The Cardinals (15-8), who won their sixth consecutive game, used back-to-back bunt singles from their Nos. 3 and 4 hitters to start the pivotal five-run fourth inning.
"They beat us with the game that we play and the game that we preach," Newark coach Michael Wheeler said. "They get their bunts down, and we pop a couple up. The one inning, we made three or four errors back to back to back. We just kind of handed it to them. Our pitchers threw really well. We just have to do a better job behind them."
Newark (16-8) had opportunities to provide right-hander Jayce Dansby an early lead as its leadoff man reached in each of the first three innings. The Wildcats failed to deliver twice on sacrifice bunts, and St. Charles catcher J.B. Meury caught a runner stealing.
Charlie Griffith then rolled a bunt down the third-base line to start the top of the fourth. Meury followed suit to the surprise of the Wildcats.
"Our (No. 3) hitter did that on his own," St. Charles coach Ray Benjamin said. "Then, we looked at it and said, 'Hell, let's go again with our (No. 4).' J.B. handles the bat really well, and he laid down a great bunt."
Scotty Beckman followed with a one-hopper to second that Newark junior Trey Robinson flagged down. The throw at second, however, was mishandled, turning a potential double play into an error.
St. Charles took full advantage. Archer Stankowski’s hit deep in the hole at short was mishandled, and the Wildcats were unable to get the force at home on a following ground ball before Tate Bennett’s hard-hit single to right was misplayed.
"Even in the first couple innings when we weren't getting any production, we were barreling balls up and hitting them hard," Benjamin said. "If you can find barrels and make loud outs, great things sooner or later are going to happen."
Newark allowed an 11-run inning to Lancaster in their district semifinal loss last season.
The Wildcats got a run back in the bottom of the inning on singles by Thomas Olon and Dansby. Griffith, a left-hander, who deftly mixed his fastball and off-speed pitches, however, got a strikeout, stranding two runners on base.
"It just comes down to that one inning," said Wheeler, whose team left 10 runners on base. "We didn't make plays, and we didn't hit fastballs when we had opportunities at the plate. We had opportunities multiple innings. If we hold that and minimize it to a couple runs, we can continue to bunt and try to move guys around."
Newark took runner-up in the Ohio Capital Conference-Buckeye Division and hosted a second-round game for the first time since 2009. The Wildcats will have high hopes next season, graduating just three players, but replacing that trio will not be easy.
Ty Pangborn, who allowed two unearned runs and struck out six in four innings of relief Wednesday, returned from Tommy John surgery to lead the pitching staff and provide run production in the middle of the order. Cam Eskins was a key member of that pitching staff and defense at shortstop the last two seasons, and Chris Pound, who reached base twice Wednesday, has been the Wildcats' center fielder.
"A lot of people have to replace more guys than we do, but those guys are huge for us as far as leaders and everything they do during the offseason and in the dugout for their teammates," Wheeler said. "The guys coming back have a lot of work to do to fill their shoes."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Newark's winning baseball season comes to bitter end vs. St. Charles
