Big fifth lifts Marquette past Putnam County for Tri-County Conference lead

OTTAWA – Showdowns for the top spot in a conference are rarely easy, and Saturday’s meeting between Tri-County Conference undefeateds Marquette and Putnam County was no exception, no matter what the score ended up.

After the visiting Panthers scratched out a run in the top of the fourth inning to tie the game at 2, the Crusaders settled the matter in the home half of the fifth. Using solid fundamental baseball – plus a little luck – MA took control with four runs, then let its quality pitching put the finishing touches on a 6-2 victory in the sunshine at Masinelli Field.

Taylor Waldron got the decision with help from Aiden Thompson, the two combining for 11 strikeouts to outduel PC’s Drake Smith, who teamed with Troy Petty to fan nine but surrendered four hits in the decisive inning.

The win for the Crusaders, with only a single conference game Tuesday at Woodland left before the postseason, puts them at 7-0 in conference and 12-2 overall.

PC is 8-1 in the TCC and 14-5, finishing its regular season with a home doubleheader with Henry-Senachwine on Tuesday.

“It’s nice to be in this position. The conference is tough to say with all the games we’ve missed, but we can’t make them all up with the way the regional is set up, but that’s the way it is,” Marquette coach Todd Hopkins said. “I don’t like the way we’re hitting right now, so we’re going to have to pick that up or we’ll be in trouble come Thursday (the 2A regional opener at Seneca).

“Give [Smith] credit. He kept us off balance, and we didn’t swing it real well, but we did what we had to do. They have a solid team. They’re going to make a run in 1A, that’s for sure … but Taylor threw really well today, and so did Aiden.

“When we get some guys on, we can make things happen. In the first inning we did a good job, but left the bases loaded and left two more on [in the third] when we should have got some more, but give the guys credit. They stayed in it.”

The Panthers scored first when leadoff hitter Andrew Pyszka reached on an error, moved to second on a groundout, to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Jackson McDonald.

But after Smith got the first two batters easily in the home half, Luke Couch walked and scored on a double by Beau Ewers and, after a walk to Shane Reynolds and infield single by Brady Ewers loaded the bases, Grant Waldron drew a walk to force in the second run.

“Drake wasn’t as efficient in the first inning as he was the rest of the game,” PC coach Chris Newsome said. “He got the first two, then got a little too fine. Credit them, they got the walks, they got the hits and did what they were supposed to do, and we didn’t get the third one. He ended up throwing more pitches than we would have liked.

“Marquette did a good job [running up his pitches], but we have to do a better job once they put it in play so Drake doesn’t have to throw the fourth or fifth out in an inning.”

Although both teams threatened, the score stayed there until PC’s fourth. Kyle Gorisek and Adam Currie both singled, with the former scoring the tying run when Sam Currie’s infield roller was misplayed.

In the fifth, MA’s proficiency with runners at first and third came into play. Couch singled and stole second, went to third as Beau Ewers walked, then stole second. Reynolds singled in a run and stole second before Brady Ewers singled in another run. The third tally crossed home on a Grant Waldron groundout and the fourth on Jake Thomas’ two-bagger to right.

“The fifth was tough,” Newsome said. “We have a grounder that bounced over the pitcher’s glove, an infield hit, and with the infield in a little flare that doesn’t reach the grass.

“We got nickeled and dimed, but that’s baseball. You learn from it.”