In the nick of time

FORT RECOVERY - Fort Recovery went five innings without getting a timely hit.

Those bats showed up just in the nick of time.

The Indians erupted for six hits in the sixth inning, erasing a three-run deficit and surpassing Elmwood by plating five for a 6-4 victory Friday in the Division III sectional final.

"I'm pleased with how determined we were to try to find a way to win a baseball game," Fort Recovery coach Jerry Kaup said. "We had so many opportunities, so many chances for two-out hits, and we didn't get the job done."

One big inning got the job done, though.

Fort Recovery went 6 for 6 with a walk in its first seven plate appearances of the sixth.

Garrett Faller, Kody Shinabery and Cobe Wendel connected for three straight hits to start the sixth. Wendel's single cut the score to 4-2. Owen Schoen was then walked by relief pitcher Tyler St. Clair to bring up nine-hitter Cole Grisez - who tied up the game with a two-run double to right.

Ryne Post, already with a double in the game, followed with a two-run single to put Fort Recovery ahead for good.

"I can't say I felt like it was destiny that it was going to come," Kaup said. "But I was always determined to continue to play through whatever was happening. We do good things. They do good things. We do bad things. They do bad things. We just hope that the determination that we have maybe outlasts theirs."

Ryne Post relieved Riley Post early in the sixth inning. He pitched the final two innings, closing it out with a 1-2-3 seventh.

Riley Post allowed just one hit and one earned run over the first five innings. He struck out four and walked three. Ryne Post allowed two hits and one unearned run while striking out one and walking none.

"I brought (Ryne Post) in with a 3-0 count on the hitter in the sixth," Kaup said. "He was able to get out of that situation and battle through those last couple of innings. He did a fabulous job, a terrific job. Star of the game."

The Royals plated one run in the first inning as Carter Taft singled home leadoff hitter Jonathan DuVall after he was walked by Riley Post.

Ryne Post hit a gap shot to right center for a double in the Indians first at-bat. He wound up at third on a wild pitch and plated the tying run on sacrifice fly by Riley Post.

Elmwood scored two runs in the fifth and another in the sixth for a 4-1 lead. Fort Recovery had five hits in innings two through five but stranded seven runners on base.

Ryne Post finished 3 for 4 with two RBIs. Shinabery and Grisez each collected two hits.

Fort Recovery will meet Coldwater in the district semifinal next Thursday at 2 p.m. at Elida's Ed Sandy Field. Last year when the teams met in the district final, Coldwater won 8-1 en route to state. This year, Coldwater defeated Fort Recovery 3-0 in a rain-shortened contest.

"We have a tremendous challenge ahead of us," Kaup said. "They know us very well. They are our friends. They are a great team. We're going to show up. We're going to play the game."