Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — Nolan Barnett is the one pitcher that Minford just couldn’t figure out.
Having already faced the senior ace twice this season, the Falcons knew how fast he was going to work, what he was going to throw, and where he was going to throw it.
And yet, it still didn’t matter.
It took nine innings, but in the end, Barnett and Valley bested the Falcons for the third time with a 6-3 victory in a Division V regional semifinal on Tuesday.
“In the end, we just played a cleaner ballgame than they did,” Valley coach Nolan Crabtree said. “We know that we have to play a certain style against them with the way that Nolan throws, and it forces our defense to be positioned in a certain way and those guys deserve a lot of credit, especially Thad Lansing who made a ton of plays for us. We put the ball in play, made them have to play defense and our kids never quit.”
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
Barnett, much like his previous two matchups against the Falcons, was masterful on the mound.
Despite the extra two innings, it didn’t matter as he tossed all nine for the win, allowing six hits and three earned runs with eight strikeouts.
“Going to my changeup and working my sinker was so critical, especially against their lefties,” Barnett said. “They’ve got three guys and it’s like a gauntlet going through that part of their lineup. But being able to use those pitches and mixing in my curveball had me feeling really good.”
Following a scoreless first, Valley (21-7) took advantage of multiple Minford miscues in the second.
With the bases loaded, following a pair of singles and a walk, the Falcons (24-4) committed a fielding error, allowing Valley take the an lead. During the next at-bat, a wild pitch scored another run, extending the lead to 2-0.
Then, in the fifth, Minford committed two more errors, the latter of which allowed a third Valley runner to score for a 3-0 lead.
Minford, however, was down but not out.
PHOTOS: Images from Valley’s regional semifinal win over Minford
Curtis Glenn stepped up with a pair of runners on and roped an RBI single into right field to put the Falcons on the board. Max Lauder followed in the next at-bat with an RBI groundout, cutting the deficit to 3-2.
The Falcons took a chance in the next inning with a runner on third and two outs, and it paid off as Mark Napier laid down a suicide squeeze for an RBI single, tying the game at 3-3.
Minford turned a double play to end the top of the seventh, and although they managed to get a runner to third in the bottom half, a groundout sent the game into extra innings.
The Falcons had a chance in the eighth to score, too. Napier slapped a two-out triple into right field, but Barnett erased that attempted momentum shift by firing a strikeout to send the game to the ninth.
The Indians loaded the bases with one out, and a wild pitch broke the tie to put them back in the lead.
“We just needed to stay confident, keep our self-esteem high and continue doing our jobs,” Valley’s Thad Lansing said. “We knew that we’d get a couple across, as long as we continued to put the ball in play and do what was needed.”
Barnett followed with a sacrifice fly before Colin Greene notched an RBI single through the right side for a 6-3 advantage. Barnett then closed the game in the bottom half to officially put the Indians in the Elite 8.
“Our first tournament game, we played 11 innings and just barely escaped. So being in these types of moments aren’t anything new to us,” Crabtree said. “We were really banged up to start the tournament, and we still are a little. But we’re a gritty and gutsy group that will fight until the end. I couldn’t be more proud of these guys and to get another shot at the Elite 8 is special.”
Statistically, in addition to his pitching line, Barnett was 1-for-3 with an RBI while Greene also had a hit and an RBI.
For Minford, Ty Borland finished with a no decision after throwing eight innings, allowing just five hits and striking out seven batters. Napier was 3-for-4 with a triple and an RBI.
As Minford’s season ends, Valley advances to a Division V regional final at 5 p.m. on Thursday against Harrison Central, who defeated Barnesville to move on.
That game will be played at Marietta College.
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