“We obviously would’ve liked to compete a little better than we did today,” Tecumseh coach Roger Culbertson said. “It’s just disappointing to come out and play the way we did today.”
The biggest thief of Tecumseh’s confidence was Elks first baseman Cole Fitzgerald. His two-run single in the first inning put the Elks up 2-0. He later scored on a wild pitch to make the score 4-0. He tripled home a run and scored in a three-run fourth inning that put the Elks up 7-1, and he ended the game on the 10-run rule with an RBI single in the sixth.
The Arrows (10-10) were the No. 11 seed taking on the No. 2 Elks (16-3), so the Arrows weren’t expected to win. That didn’t make Culbertson feel any better about the loss, but he is hopeful this tournament run means more tournament victories are in the Arrows’ future.
“We’re trying to make strides in our program, and this is a step in the right direction, obviously,” Culbertson said. “Our younger kids are going to learn from it and be better because of it next year.”
Arrows ace Adam Dixon plugged away and tried to keep the Arrows close, but Fitzgerald and three errors in the middle of the Elks’ rallies kept Dixon pitching from the stretch.
“He didn’t pitch his best game today for whatever reason,” Culbertson said. “He said he wasn’t nervous or anything like that. He was up a little bit with his pitches; his curveball wasn’t as fine as it normally is. Probably the first time he’s been in this kind of a situation.”
A walk and error put two Arrows on base in the third inning with one out, but J.T. Brubaker’s RBI groundout was all the Arrows could muster in cutting their deficit to 4-1 against Elks starter Nick Bertram.
An inning later, Alex Sheets led off with an infield single, and after a walk and a wild pitch, Alex Stapleton’s infield single made the score 7-2. Bertram was replaced by Luke Matthews, who retired the final seven Arrows to come to the plate.
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