High school baseball: Despite brilliant game, Wadsworth falls to Walsh Jesuit in regional semifinal

OBERLIN — The hitters barreled multiple offerings from Xavier signee Ryan Piech, 6-foot-6 right-hander Finn Schmitt largely shut down a ridiculously loaded lineup and the defense was flawless. The Wadsworth baseball team still lost 1-0 to Walsh Jesuit in a Division I, Region 1 semifinal Thursday at Oberlin College's Dill Field. A manufactured run in the third inning and a devastating two-pronged execution failure in the fifth cost the Grizzlies during a 1-hour, 34-minute game that featured only six hits, 171 pitches and 86-degree sunshine. The Warriors (25-3), whose dugout wasn't short on bravado, advanced to play University School (25-7) in today's championship, while the Grizzlies finished 21-6 after coming up just short in their first regional appearance since 2001. "I gave everything I had this game," Schmitt said. "It was a good team effort. We had a great, long season and all of us did our part. It sucks we lost, but next year, we'll be better, come back and get 'em." Piech lived up to the hype, allowing four hits — three to Eric Decker — while walking two and striking out eight. Two of his K's came with a runner in scoring position to end the second and fifth innings. Featuring an upper 80s fastball and four-pitch repertoire he could throw for strikes in any count, the right-hander's postseason line now reads 19 innings, no runs, four hits, six walks and 29 strikeouts. The long, curly-haired Schmitt (8-1, 1.63) embraced the challenge, allowing two hits — both in the third inning — while walking none, hitting one and striking out three. The righty was perfect over his final 3 2/3 innings against a lineup with six players committed to D-I colleges, including Ohio State-bound catcher Mason Eckelman. Schmitt entered the season as a virtual unknown — classmates Jon Byers and Kyle Figuray were ahead of him in the pecking order as freshmen and sophomores — but has blossomed into a legitimate college prospect. Limiting an all-star roster like Walsh Jesuit to two hits only bolstered his résumé. "Finn was outstanding," Wadsworth coach Greg Pickard said. "I can't say enough about his effort. He was dominant, in my opinion." The only run came across on some great situational hitting by Walsh Jesuit, and the damage could have been worse if not for a baserunning blunder. Justin Bremner (Canisius) singled down the third base line past a slipping Ethan Green, Raul Gamez was hit by a pitch and No. 9 hitter Topher Salek pushed a perfect bunt between Schmitt and Green to load the bases with no outs. Alejandro Covas (Youngstown State) made the score 1-0 on a sacrifice fly to right field, but things got weird after the ball returned to the infield. While Gamez moved to third, Saley attempted to catch Wadsworth napping with a delayed advance to second but was thrown out easily. Given new life, Schmitt buckled down and whiffed Cincinnati-bound Joey Canzoni to end the threat. "My game plan was to come in, (allow) no runs, get the win and come back (today) to play," Schmitt said. "But it's a team effort. I did the best I could. Their pitcher did a great job and they came out on top." Schmitt never got support, but not for a lack of effort. The Grizzlies, who hit Piech hard directly to fielders for loud outs on six occasions, failed to take an early lead after Kai Close and Decker singled in the second inning and remained quiet until the fifth, when their golden opportunity was squandered. Green led off with a five-pitch walk and Decker followed with a single up the middle. Byers then fouled off two bunt attempts before striking out on a bouncing off-speed pitch, Green hesitated between second and third and Decker was caught in no man's land between first and second. Eckelman fired to 6-4 first baseman Zach Halligan, an Akron basketball recruit whose slap tag barely beat Decker to the bag for the second out. Austin Miller struck out swinging and momentum remained clearly in Walsh Jesuit's corner. Wadsworth put the tying run on base in the sixth via a Daniel Hall walk and in the seventh when Decker singled, but neither reached scoring position. "I definitely feel sadness," Decker said. "I'm leaving a bunch of my senior friends, but I'm not at all upset with how we played. We just hit the ball right at people. Unfortunately it didn't fall for us." Contact Albert Grindle at (330) 721-4043 or agrindle@medina-gazette.com. Walsh Jesuit 1, Wadsworth 0 Division I, Region 1 Semifinal at Oberlin College Wadsworth &emsp;&emsp;(21-6) Walsh Jesuit (25-3) &emsp;&emsp;ab r h bi &emsp;&emsp;ab r h bi Keating cf 3 0 0 0 Covas cf &emsp;&emsp;2 0 0 1 Figuray ss 3 0 0 0 Canzoni ss&emsp;&emsp;3 0 0 0 Hall c &emsp;&emsp;2 0 0 0 Eckelman c 2 0 0 0 Leopold 2b 3 0 0 0 Simecek 2b 2 0 0 0 Close 1b &emsp;&emsp;3 0 1 0 Halligan 1b&emsp;&emsp;2 0 0 0 Green 3b &emsp;&emsp;2 0 0 0 Serdinak 3b 2 0 0 0 Decker lf &emsp;&emsp;3 0 3 0 Bremner lf &emsp;&emsp;2 1 1 0 Byers dh &emsp;&emsp;3 0 0 0 Gamez dh &emsp;&emsp;1 0 0 0 Miller rf &emsp;&emsp;2 0 0 0 Saley dh &emsp;&emsp;2 0 1 0 Schmitt p &emsp;&emsp;0 0 0 0 Piech p &emsp;&emsp;0 0 0 0 Schmeltzer pr 0 0 0 0 Graham pr 0 0 0 0 Totals &emsp;&emsp;24 0 4 0 Totals &emsp;&emsp;18 1 2 1 WADSWORTH &emsp;&emsp;000 100 &emsp;&emsp;0 — 0 4 &emsp;&emsp;0 WALSH JESUIT &emsp;&emsp;001 000 &emsp;&emsp;0 — 1 2 &emsp;&emsp;0 SF — Covas. LOB — Wadsworth 5, Walsh Jesuit 1. &emsp;&emsp;IP R ER H BB SO Wadsworth Schmitt (L, 8-1) &emsp;&emsp;6 1 1 2 0 3 Walsh Jesuit Piech (W) &emsp;&emsp;7 0 0 4 2 8 HBP — by Schmitt (Gamez).