Pirates win in 8 innings to repeat as regional champions

BOWLING GREEN — Perkins trailed for the first time in the postseason late in Wednesday's Division IV regional championship heavyweight fight. The Pirates responded like champions. Perkins scored in the sixth inning to force extra innings and scored in the eighth to beat Marengo Highland 6-5 in eight innings Wednesday at Warren Steller Field. It was the Pirates' 10th straight win and sends them to the state semifinals for the second straight year. "When I started here I said, 'Akron in June.' Two years in a row — that's something special," Perkins coach TJ Blanton said. "We're really excited, but we're not just excited to be there. We want more. "I'm just so glad I get 10 more days with these guys. I didn't want to be done today. That thought crossed my mind in that (sixth) inning and they responded." The list of heroes is a long one. Let's start with Braxden Martin. Martin, part of a decorated seven-man senior class, elevated a 2-2 pitch to center field for a sacrifice fly that scored Carter Koch in the eighth inning with what proved to be the winning run. Martin's RBI came after Highland unintentionally-intentionally walked Sam Schweinfurth with four pitches way out of the strike zone to load the bases with nobody out. "I was definitely taking it a little personal because they wanted me to be up," Martin said. "My job was to score us a run and that's what I did. "I was deep in the count and had to take a lot of deep breaths and think back to all the training we put in. We hit a lot, so it's just another at-bat. I was able to get a run in for us." Martin also was the winning pitcher, relieving starter Kash Koch and throwing three scoreless innings. After the Fighting Scots put two runners on in the sixth and seventh innings, Martin faced the top of the order with a one-run lead in the eighth. He got a 1-2-3 inning, beginning with a popup from Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year Jayden Collins. "I was telling (catcher) Carter (Koch) I was trying to hit the corners and throw it low because if he gets a hold of it, that's not good," Martin said. "Respected that hitter a lot." Mason Souter, who entered the game at second base when Martin took the mound in the sixth, caught that popup and assisted on the final out of the game. "I was just trying to finish what Kash started and that was to get the W," Martin said. "I love this team and wouldn't trade it for anything in the world." Carter Koch led off the eighth with a double down the left-field line. "I got down 0-2 and knew I had to keep the weight back and drive a curveball," he said. "Right off the barrel, right down the line. I knew I had to get two." With Carter Koch on second, Souter pushed a bunt past Highland pitcher Cade Minnick for a base hit. "I read the defense and had to pick a spot," Souter said. "I placed it there. I came in and did my job." Kash Koch was due up, but he suggested that Souter stay in the lineup and bunt. "Kash Koch came up to me before the last inning and said, 'If Carter gets on base, keep Souter in to bunt. It doesn't burn me and we have a better chance with our defense,' " Blanton said. "Just selfless by Kash; I'm not even thinking it at that point. And the bunt Mason Souter laid down was just incredible. Hasn't had many at-bats this year, and to come in that pressure moment, absolutely huge." After Schweinfurth was walked, Martin delivered the go-ahead run. Perkins broke through first with four runs in the fourth inning. Quentin Binette, who was 4 for 4 in the game, led off with a single. Dante Shipp Jr. also singled and Grant Parker reached on an error. For the second time in three innings, the bases were loaded by the 7-8-9 batters in the Pirates' order. "No surprise. Grant's a great player, Dante's a great player as well," Binette said. "One through nine, we can all swing a bat well. We're as effective sometimes as the top of the order. All parts of the order have to work together to string together a win. Everybody does their job and we keep on winning games." Binette, Shipp and Parker singled the start the second, but Perkins didn't score. The Pirates left the bases loaded twice and stranded 13 runners. Highland left 10 on base. Bryce Davie gave Perkins a 2-0 lead with a single in the fourth. Talon Walton reached on a fielder's choice and stole second. The throw got away and Parker scored to make it 3-0. Carter Koch's perfectly placed bunt scored Walton to give Perkins a 4-0 edge. Highland, the team that knocked out top-ranked Jonathan Alder in extra innings in a district final, didn't back down. The Fighting Scots (22-10) scored twice in the bottom of the fourth, taking advantage of No. 3 Perkins' only error. In the fifth, they had five straight hits and took a 5-4 lead. Walton immediately answered with a towering triple to center field. He scored on Carter Koch's sacrifice fly to tie it at 5-5. "They had momentum there and Talon got it to dead center," Blanton said. "To fight back and score that run after they took the lead was huge. We didn't give up and we continued to have good at-bats. We made the pitchers work. We didn't chase much, didn't strike out much. That was good baseball overall." In the bottom half, right fielder Parker tracked down Collins' shot to deep right, matching the heroics of center field Davie, who denied Collins an extra-base hit in the third. Highland, which won seven of eight games before Wednesday, outhit Perkins 13-12. Binette led off the seventh with his fourth single and Garrett Carr came off the bench to deliver a sacrifice bunt, but Highland held. "That was a great baseball game. We unloaded the bench," Blanton said. "Twenty-two kids came here on the roster and everybody did their job. Garrett Carr comes in to lay down a bunt. It was a total team effort." Perkins will play the winner of Thursday's regional final between Youngstown Cardinal Mooney and Canton Central Catholic in a Div. IV state semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 13 in Akron. The Pirates lingered on the field for postgame photos and hugs all around. "That was the biggest gut-check that we've had," Binette said. "It was good job for Braxden to stay in there, Grant Parker and Bryce Davie had phenomenal catches. Everyone was doing their part. It was just amazing." Perkins 000 401 01 — 6 12 1 Highland 000 230 00 — 5 13 3 WP: Martin. LP: Minnick. 2B: (H) Collins; (P) C. Koch. 3B: (P) Walton