Baseball: Erie-Prophetstown keeps it loose, upsets Hall in regional semifinals

PRINCETON – It’s certainly not the script Erie-Prophetstown coach Brad Tichler would have written, but he’s not knocking success.

For the second postseason game in a row, the Panthers overcame a three-run first inning deficit and came back to defeat top-seeded Hall, 7-5, in Wednesday’s semifinals of the Class 2A Princeton Regional at Prather Field. The Panthers also did the same trick to the host Tigers, rallying for an 11-8 victory Monday.

“We were the [No.] 5 seed coming in. We weren’t supposed to win the first game coming in. We’re just playing on house money. We’ve got nothing to lose. Play loose,” Tichler said. “[Hall] won their side of the conference. I just wanted to compete and see what happens.”

Kolby Franks, who came on in relief in the third inning to earn the win, said the Panthers are enjoying the ride.

“We’re just having fun,” he said. “We’re playing every game like it’s our last game. During the season we were just kind of stressed because we weren’t playing the way we should be. Now we’re just playing loose and having fun with it.”

The Panthers (10-13) ended the game in a suspenseful way when shortstop Mason Misfeldt snagged a soft line drive off the bat of Hall counterpart Ashton Pecher and stepped on the bag to double up Hall’s Drake Garland to end the game.

“Mason’s sort of been our utility man, from center to short to where he’s thrown a few innings. I call him my jack-of-all-trades. Great kid and loves to play all over,” Tichler said. “That was a heck of a play. If it gets through, probably a tie game. You’ve got to get lucky sometimes. That was right at him.”

Franks thought it was trouble off the bat.

“I didn’t see Mason, and I was kind of beating myself up. He just came there and caught it. He’s a good guy,” Franks said.

E-P bounced back from Hall’s three-run first in a big way, scoring six runs in the second on three hits.

Noah Wiseley and Conner Meadows drew walks against Hall starter Ethan Plym, and Mikey Biba reached on a Hall error on a bunt to load the bases. Plym plunked Bryce Jepson in the helmet to force in the first run. Plym walked in another run when Misfeldt drew a free pass to make it 3-2 Hall.

Connor Sibley greeted Hall reliever Payton Dye with a bloop single to right with the infield drawn in to tie the game before Franks lofted a sacrifice fly to right to put the Panthers in front, 4-3.

Dye caught E-P cleanup man Tucker VanDeWostine looking, but the Hall infield committed two run-scoring errors and the Panthers had turned a 3-0 deficit into a 6-3 lead.

“The second inning when we scored six runs, we took advantage of some of their mishaps, and that was huge,” Tichler said. “That’s been the difference the last couple of weeks. We’ve been taking advantage of other team’s mishaps versus the beginning of the year when we struggled.”

Hall scored a run on two dropped fly balls in the fifth, but never recovered from the second-inning E-P rally.

“That’s kind of the way we’ve rolled all year,” Hall coach Tom Keegan said. “Credit Ashton, made a little contact right there, but we’ve never been able to get the big hit when we needed to. Unfortunately. It looked like we were going to get one, but it was right at him and doubled it up.

“We got out to a 3-0 lead. Unfortunately, couldn’t close out that second inning. Microcosm of our whole season. When it goes south defensively, it goes in a hurry. We gave maybe four or five of the seven unearned. That’s why we’re handing in uniforms.”

The Red Devils (18-9) got off to a fast start, scoring three runs on four hits. Leadoff man Mac Resetich stole a run by reaching on a single, taking second on an errant pickoff throw, and racing around third to home on a wild pitch by Meadows, the E-P starter, who failed to cover the plate.

Catcher Kyler Lapp and Plym followed with singles, and Garland brought both home with a deep double to center to put Hall up 3-0.

Sibley, Frank and Wiseley led the Panthers with two hits and an RBI each.

No. 9 hitter Gabe Lucas doubled twice for Hall, while Plym (double) and Lapp (RBI) each added two hits.

“They are a feisty group and got it going at the right time,” Keegan said. “Credit them for putting it in play. They set us up with a bunt that we couldn’t throw and a few other plays we couldn’t make either. They deserve it.”

The Panthers will take a 10-13 record into Saturday’s championship game at 1 p.m. against the winner of Thursday’s semifinal between No. 3 Riverdale (15-4) and No. 5 Bureau Valley (13-10). The Rams beat the Storm, 20-4, early in the season.

“We’ve got our No. 1 [Austin Cole] Saturday, and I like our chances. Once again, we’re not favored to win. Play loose and see what happens,” Tichler said.

“We’re going to come in like we’ve been doing. Don’t put any pressure on ourselves, play loose. They have everything to lose, and we have nothing,” Franks said.