Johnstown baseball's district dream ended in 10th by Buckeye Valley
MOUNT VERNON — The Johnstown baseball team hitched its wagon to Clay Bruning, and the junior ace nearly pitched the Johnnies to a district title.
Bruning threw a third consecutive postseason gem for No. 5 Johnstown on Saturday, but No. 2 Buckeye Valley scored all of its runs when twice down to its last at-bat to steal a 5-4 victory in 10 innings during a Division II district final at Mount Vernon Nazarene.
"He's not going to surprise anybody, but he's very good," Johnstown coach Travis Carpenter said. "He is a tremendous competitor, and everyone wants to compete for him."
Bruning previously allowed a total of six hits and one run in consecutive victories against DeSales and Bishop Watterson. When postponements on Thursday and Friday gave him the required rest under the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s pitch count rules, he took the ball again.
Buckeye Valley managed just four base runners through the first six innings before three consecutive hits, including an RBI hit for Zach Church, and a throwing error on a bunt to start the bottom of the seventh allowed the Barons to tie the game. Bruning pitched into the ninth before the Barons (17-5) scratched out two runs in the bottom of the 10th after the Johnnies had regained the lead.
"I preached to our kids the entire year to be gritty and never give up," said Buckeye Valley coach Johnny DeRing, whose team plays Eaton at 5 p.m. Thursday at Mason.
"I am at a loss for words right now; I gotta be honest with you," he added. "I am so freakin' proud of them. They deserve this, especially our seniors. They have had a tough road over the past four years."
Bruning threw 8 2/3 innings and struck out eight without a walk.
Johnstown (19-7-1) only went down in order twice and finally broke through in the fifth on junior Benji Perez’s two-run single, which scored classmate Garrett Grinstead and senior Gavin Warden. Perez later scored on an error, and in a turnaround season when the Johnnies jumped from eight wins to 19, three runs often was enough.
"I am very proud of these young men," Carpenter said. "They have taken the next step, and hopefully next year can take an even bigger step."
Johnstown appeared to be in position to regain the lead in the top of the eighth inning when Grinstead singled into the right-center gap, but the lead runner fell down between third and home and eventually was thrown out at the plate.
The Johnnies did score in the top of the 10th when junior Chase Boroff singled and eventually reached home on an error. The Barons used sandwiched two singles around a throwing error to load the bases before earning their second consecutive walk-off win on a Church walk to score Tanner Domyanich and a wild pitch to score Mason Kurtz.
"I don't know. I am getting a lot of gray hair, and I think my life is shortening because we have been in a lot of close games," DeRing said. "Our boys have competed their tails off, and that is all I can ask them to do."
Church and Nolan Ralph, who pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief, had three hits apiece for the Barons. Cole Raile added two hits and a run scored.
Grinstead and Warden had three hits apiece for the Johnnies, and Perez, Boroff and twin brother Cole Boroff each had two. The Johnnies graduate just Warden and third baseman Justin LaRochelle, who each were four-year varsity players, and pitcher Julian McCann.
"That experience, these guys have played a lot of baseball for this school, for this program," Carpenter said. "I am very appreciative I have been to be their coach."
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Johnstown baseball's district dream ended in 10th by Buckeye Valley
