DAYTON, Ohio – A team without a league tested itself against several of the best baseball teams in Greater Cincinnati this season.
As a result, the Harrison High School baseball team entered the postseason with a 10-10 record. But the Wildcats used that experience to win four in a row in the playoffs to earn their first regional championship in school history.
Harrison knocked off Anderson 6-3 in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division II, Region 8 championship game June 4 at Day Air Ballpark.
Harrison (14-10) plays in the state semifinals June 12 in Canton. Anderson, which had not gone to state since 2002, finishes 21-8, its most wins in at least 14 seasons. Harrison had not even played in the regional finals since 1982.
“It means everything because I feel like I’ve seen these kids at their lowest point,” said head coach Ben Turner. “We have played some bad baseball this year. We’ve struggled a little bit. Even in workouts. We’ve struggled, and I’ve seen them do that, and I’ve seen them be down. So to see the complete opposite of them just so joyous at this moment, it means everything.”
Harrison rapped out 12 hits and won the game on a five-run outburst in the fifth inning. Wildcats pitchers Preston Flick and David Baldock limited the Raptors to four hits, and Drew Baker got the last two outs for the save.
Harrison rallied for two extra-inning wins in the district tournament, then in the regional semifinals, beat Loveland 2-1
Harrison does not have a league for baseball after the dissolution of the Southwest Ohio Conference. Turner set up a tough schedule this season. The Wildcats lost 3-1 to Anderson on May 7 and Loveland 4-2 on April 25. Harrison went 0-3 against the Greater Catholic League-South, lost to two other strong Division I teams as well as East Central (21-8) and Simon Kenton.
“That was our goal this year,” Turner said. “We knew that without a schedule, we could pick and choose who we wanted to play, and we wanted to see the best we could possibly see all year, prepare us for this. We weren’t worried about winning a conference title. The only way we were hanging a banner was a district title and beyond. So we wanted to be ready for that.”
Tucker Ward, one of six seniors on the team, knew his team could peak now.
“We didn’t play to the best of our ability,” he said. “There are probably seven or eight games that we could have won. We knew that we had a good group. We had a lot of talent and even more heart, and we buy into each other. We got each other’s backs no matter what.”
Anderson struck first in the top of the first after a two-out walk to Hudson Best. Carson Glen drove in him with a double to the wall in left center, his team-high 26th RBI.
Harrison made things happen the next three innings but had two interference calls go against them.
Senior Mitchell led off with a single to start the first inning. The next batter, junior Ryan Stigler, bunted. The throw went into right field and Mercurio scored, but Stigler was called for runner’s interference, and Mercurio was sent back to first.
In the third, senior Tucker Ward led off with a single. He stole second but the batter was called for batter’s interference, and Ward was called out.
With two outs, Mercurio singled, stole second and was brought home on a base hit by Ryan Stigler to tie the game at 1-1.
In the fifth, the first two Anderson batters reached on walks. Harrison brought in David Baldock in relief.
Senior Brayden Moore gave Anderson a 2-1 lead with a single, the third time in four games he has given the Raptors the lead late in the game. The first two were game-winning hits.
Harrison got several winning hits of their own in the bottom of the inning. The Wildcats loaded the bases with one out on a single by Stigler and walks to Drew Baker and Cam Enneking.
Baldock hit a grounder to second baseman Hudson Best. Best got the out at second but Baldock beat the relay to first. The throw went awry and two runs scored to give Harrison a 3-2 lead. Baldock got one RBI.
Kyle Davidson and Derek Stigler followed with hits to load the bases again. Ward drove in a run with a single. Sophomore Aaron Davis, the No. 9 hitter, hit a single to right field to drive in two runs, and Harrison took a 6-2 lead.
Davis, a sophomore, was called up from junior varsity late in the season to add some speed and defense. He had only nine at-bats coming in, with three hits and zero RBIs.
“It took a little while this season, but to see the juniors and the sophomores hop on board with what they’ve done, I am super proud of the way this team has fought,” Turner said. “This senior class, although they’re small, is mighty. They were the first freshman class when I got to Harrison. So seeing all the different ways that they got here is incredible in the leadership that they bring to this team.”
Anderson loaded the bases with one out in the seventh on two walks around a double by senior Tyler Erwin.
Baldock walked Carson Glen for his second RBI of the game and 27th for the season.
Junior Drew Baker came on to get the save and retired the last two batters to end the game. He had only thrown 2.2 innings this season.
Baldock got the win in relief and the Wildcats will enjoy their first trip to the state tournament.
“There’s been ups and downs, but we got a brotherhood at Harrison baseball, and that’s really shown the last two weeks,” Ward said. “Just the opportunity to play baseball. We’re in God’s creation, one of the greatest sports. Just a chance to play a game with some of your best friends and some of the best fields. Some of the best moments that I’ve had in my life and we’ll talk about forever.”
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: OHSAA high school baseball Division II regional championship game
