Staff report
PUMPKIN CENTER – Top-seeded North Lincoln scored on a suicide squeeze bunt in the bottom of the sixth inning and beat fifth-seeded East Rowan 4-3 in the fourth round of the 5A state playoffs.
There was some irony attached to Friday’s setback, as East had wrecked rival West Rowan by the 10-run rule with a series of bunts in Round 3.
North Lincoln (26-2) knocked the Mustangs (23-6) out of the playoffs last season in 14 innings. This one was nearly as frustrating for East, as the Mustangs had six hits, seven walks and two HBPs, but failed to score again after getting three quick runs in the first inning.
Sam Blackwelder had a run-scoring single and Braylen Ketchie had a two-run double in the first inning, but that was it for East. If the Mustangs had been able to get one more knock in the first they may have buried North Lincoln, but it didn’t happen.
The Knights weren’t going to let Harrison Ailshie beat them. He walked four straight times, but the Mustangs only got him home once. Ailshie was a .600-hitter for the season and a .427 hitter with 22 homers for his career.
Charlie Lefler was on the mound for the Mustangs. He gave East every chance to prevail on the road, throwing 90 pitches and exiting with one out and one on in the sixth in a 3-3 game. He was saddled with a tough loss when the runner he allowed to reach base in the sixth scored the decisive run. The Knights got that runner around the bases after Brady Ailshie relieved Lefler with a hit batsman, a wild pitch and the Blake Mincey suicide squeeze that plated Beckett Rinkus from third base.
North Lincoln’s sophomore starting pitcher Parker Williams settled in after that shaky first inning, and the home team started to mount a comeback in the second, scratching a pair of runs on a wild pitch and on an infield single that deflected off Lefler’s glove.
North Lincoln tied it at 3-all in the fourth with two singles, a sac bunt by Mincey and an odd error. The ball got loose after the sac bunt on a throw from first base to the mound. That break got North Lincoln even, and the Knights made their own break with the well-executed squeeze for the go-ahead run in the sixth.
Cason McGinnis moved from shortstop to the mound for North Lincoln in the fifth and shut out the Mustangs the rest of the way. His shortstop skills came in handy in the top of the seventh. East had a chance to tie the game in the seventh when Brady Ailshie opened the inning with a single. Andrew Lopez, one of East’s three seniors, was the courtesy runner for the pitcher. A balk immediately moved Lopez to second.
East tried to advance Lopez to third with a bunt, but McGinnis pounced on the ball, didn’t hesitate and threw a strike to get Lopez out at third. McGinnis took a chance, but he made a play. That stifled the rally. Two outs later, North Lincoln was celebrating another dramatic victory over East.
North Lincoln advances to the regional championship series and will play second-seeded South Point. Game 1 will be played in Pumpkin Center. Game 2 will be in Belmont.
East Rowan 300 000 0 – 3
N. Lincoln 020 101 x – 4
W – McGinnis. L – Lefler (5-2).
