Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — Circleville only has 12 varsity players. But that has worked in the Tigers’ favor all season long.
It’s forced guys to be uncomfortable at times and play new positions. And, on the flip side, the team chemistry has been easier to build, developing an unmatched level of trust.
Those little details have led to the Tigers booking a Sweet 16 trip.
Despite trailing deep into Wednesday’s contest, the team’s faith in one another paid off. The Tigers scored four runs in the final two innings to earn a 5-2 victory over Jackson in a Division III district final at Ohio University.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
“This moment doesn’t happen with these guys getting along inside and outside the dugout,” Circleville coach Brian Bigam said. “I know that cliche to say, but it’s true. I’ve preached it since day one. If you coach a group that is only worried about themselves and getting their numbers, it’s tough to win games. This group and game was a perfect example of a complete team effort, and I couldn’t be happier for this team.”
The win marks Circleville’s sixth district title in program history — and the first since 2018.
“This is home, and I love Circleville. It’s the sixth baseball district title, and I’ve been very fortunate to be a part of the last three as a coach, and one as a former player. So this is very special,” Bigam said. “I told the guys that they had a chance to do something special and that’s exactly what they did. These guys wanted to get in the cages not just before we even left the school, but before I even got there, so they were ready for the moment.”
In the biggest game of the season to date, Circleville (21-6) put its trust in Chase Foster on the bump, and he delivered the goods.
The moment was big, but the freshman played bigger as he earned the win in 6 2/3 innings, allowing just three hits and two earned runs while striking out six batters.
“My curveball was working really well, and I noticed they were watching it a lot, so I tried to beat that into the zone as much as possible,” Foster said. “They were hitting my fastball a little bit, so I had to make an adjustment and place it where it needed to be. We put in so much work throughout the winter for this moment and although I wasn’t on the team last season, to bounce back like this is amazing.”
The Tigers wasted no time getting on the board.
Following a walk to Glavine Bigam in the first, he advanced to second on a groundout. He’d score on an RBI single from David Northam, making it 1-0.
Two innings later, Jackson (25-2) had an answer.
After a leadoff double from Eli Ray, Ryan Seimetz notched an RBI groundout that tied the game. The Ironmen then took the lead off back-to-back doubles from Nolan Johnson and Gaven Jones, making it 2-1.
As the game progressed into the top of the sixth, Circleville knew it had to make its move at some point. Trent Smith opened with a double and Northam later singled to put runners on the corners.
That set the stage for Drew Thornsley, and he came through with an RBI single to shallow right field that tied the game. Two batters later, Hudson Phalin roped an RBI single into right field, putting the Tigers ahead 3-2.
“I was confident going into that at-bat. We had momentum on our side, so I knew I had to put the ball in play,” Thornsley said. “Truthfully, I’ve never felt the way I did during that at-bat. I had so much adrenaline and juice going through me, so I knew I was going to do something good and I did just that.”
Glavine Bigam opened the seventh with a triple off the right field wall, and proceeded to score off an RBI triple from Austin Gray to provide extra insurance a a 4-2 lead.
Thornsley stepped up again, two batters later, and put the dagger in with an RBI single into center field — ultimately putting the game on ice.
“I was 11 years old, and I remember that feeling of watching Garrett Gray and that team win a district title and make it to state,” Thornsley said. “For us to win a district and for me being a senior, this is such a crazy feeling. There’s three of us that have played all four years and two that have played for one year. We’ve never stopped working for this goal and winning this title means everything, but there’s more we want.”
Statistically, after Foster’s numbers on the bump, Thornsley finished 3-for-4 with two RBIs while Northam was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Phalin was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Gray was 1-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.
For Jackson, Tucker Williams suffered the loss on the bump in 5 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs and striking out four batters. Jones finished 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI while Seimetz was 0-for-4 with an RBI.
As Jackson’s season comes to an end, Circleville returns to action in a Division III regional semifinal against either Miami Trace or Dover.
That game will happen at 2 p.m., this coming Thursday at VA Memorial Stadium.
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