Third time charm for KR baseball

Cougars finally beat Red Devils in ’09, claim sectional title

Kenton Ridge pitcher Tom Piatt (10) is congratulated by teammates Derek Toadvine (7), Ryan Black (2), and Luke Mamer (15) after a 3-1 win in Tuesday's sectional championship game against Tippecanoe at Tecumseh High School on May 19, 2009.

Staff Photo by Barbara J. Perenic Kenton Ridge pitcher Tom Piatt (10) is congratulated by teammates Derek Toadvine (7), Ryan Black (2), and Luke Mamer (15) after a 3-1 win in Tuesday's sectional championship game against Tippecanoe at Tecumseh High School on May 19, 2009.

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By David Jablonski, Staff Writer Updated 1:08 PM Wednesday, May 20, 2009

NEW CARLISLE — Most baseball players chew sunflower seeds. Some go for gum.

Ryan Black’s game-day tradition revolves around a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. For the Kenton Ridge High School senior catcher, it is as important as the mask and glove.

But in a 3-1 victory over Tippecanoe in a Division II sectional final Tuesday, May 19, at Tecumseh’s Bob Davis Field, the sandwich survived longer than normal.

“I’m a little too nervous to eat my peanut butter and jelly,” Black said as the Cougars came to bat in the fourth.

At that moment, the Cougars started calming everyone’s nerves against a team it had lost to twice in the regular season.

A two-run rally in the fourth — powered by RBI singles from Randon McNeil and Tom Piatt — led to Kenton Ridge’s third straight sectional championship.

Now the Cougars (23-5) will play for their fifth district title in the last six years at 11 a.m. Saturday against Franklin (21-5) at Mason High School.

“Once the tournament starts, our minds just totally change,” Black said. “We have a different swagger.”

The swagger of Piatt helped. He didn’t find out until Tuesday morning that he would get the start on the mound.

“I was hoping I’d get the chance,” Piatt said. “I’m a senior, and I want the ball all the time.”

“We were kind of undecided on who we were going to throw,” coach Aaron Shaffer said. “We basically have two No. 1s (Luke Mamer being the other), and they hadn’t seen Tommie.”

Piatt and the Cougars caught a break in the third. A bases-loaded fly ball by David Koopman appeared to score the game’s first run. But it was erased when the umpires ruled the runner at second had left the bag too early.

An inning later, a double by Mamer started Kenton Ridge’s first scoring rally against Koopman, who had blanked them 7-0 on May 8. That loss didn’t hurt KR’s confidence.

“It’s tough to beat a team the third time,” Black said.

After the team’s exchanged runs in the sixth, Ethan Sharpin relieved Piatt and pitched a scoreless seventh. Sharpin has 17 strikeouts, three saves and a 0.00 ERA in nine innings this season. He struck out Camden Sauls to end the game.

“He came in and threw heat,” Black said. “Throwing the ball past Sauls, that’s saying a lot.”

»Game box score on B3.

»Trojans grab sectional title in baseball. Roundup on B4

»Check out more photos from the game and get more prep news, schedules and results all online at Spring fieldNewsSun.com/sports

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