Junior Tommy Skelding pitches, hits Marlington to Division II sectional championship

LEXINGTON TWP. — In a postseason baseball literally played during a steady rain, the Marlington Dukes hit the Canton South Wildcats with a downpour of runs in one inning.

Scoring eight runs in the fourth inning, Marlington overcame the raindrops and defeated visiting Canton South 8-1 in a Division II sectional championship contest Wednesday.

It was the third time the Dukes (18-4) outscored the Wildcats (8-17) this season. The previous wins came in Eastern Buckeye Conference regular-season games by identical 7-2 scores.

The final outcome indicated three mismatches, but that wasn't the case.

"Canton South battled us in all three games, but we were able to break each one open in the late innings," Marlington coach Cody Jones said.

Marlington held slim 3-2 leads in both regular-season games before adding insurance runs. Canton South held the home team scoreless during the first three innings of the tournament contest before Marlington exploded.

"Marlington has a very powerful offense," Canton South first-year coach Koby Edwards said. "We knew we had to hold them down and our offense had to put the ball in play and manufacture some runs if we were going to beat them."

Junior Tommy Skelding excelled for the Dukes on the mound and at the plate. The 6-foot-2 right-hander pitched a gem, allowing one unearned run in six innings while striking out 11 and he drilled a grand slam during the eight-run fourth.

"He was overpowering with his fastball and he also came through with [at the plate] with the grand slam," Jones said.

Junior shortstop and leadoff batter Drew Denham and No. 3 hitter Josh Dezenzo both collected a team-high two hits for the Dukes.

"Everyone on this team is dangerous [offensively]," said Dezenzo, who had been the clean-up hitter most of the season until being elevated one spot. "We've all contributed."

It was the last three hitters in the Marlington batting order that set the stage for the big fourth inning. Danny Grimes and Connor Evanich reached on sharp singles, while Ben Yoder added a bunt single, loading the bases and flipping the batting order.

Denham promptly drew a walk, snapping the scoreless tie. Skelding then helped his own cause by smashing an offering for the grand slam, extending the lead to 5-0. The Dukes weren't finished, adding three more runs. Luke Tortola cracked a run-scoring single to help extend the rally.

"The bottom of our order got things started that inning, and our guys at the top [Denham and Skelding] came through," Dezenzo said.

Canton South starting pitcher Brady Noll, a 6-5 senior right-hander who entered the game with a 4-2 record, started strong and looked sharp the first three innings before Marlington's offensive outburst.

"We know Brady Noll is an excellent pitcher and he showed it early," Jones said. "He made us look foolish the first time up and down the batting order. The second we were able to make better contact, and the third time we got big hits."

The Dukes scored their runs after the Wildcats twice threatened to break the scoreless tie in both the third and fourth innings.

In the third inning, with two outs and a runner in scoring position, Denham ranged to his left behind the second-base bag to field a ground ball hit by A.J. Pierson and threw the speedy sophomore out to retire the side.

in the top of the fourth inning, catcher Clay Mitchell crushed a leadoff double. Skelding didn't flinch, striking out the next three batters.

"Denham made a great defensive play and Skelding showed great composure after Mitchell hit that double," Jones said. "If they go on and score we would have had to play from behind and who knows how the rest of the game [would play out]."

Marlington, however, removed any doubt in the last of the fourth inning, helping Skelding win his seventh game in eight decisions and send the Dukes to the Louisville Division II district semifinals.

The Dukes, this year's EBC champions, will meet the Streetsboro Rockets, who edged the West Branch Warriors 5-4 in a sectional final, in a district semifinal Monday at 2 p.m. Following that contest will be a district semifinal between Louisville, the host school, and reigning EBC champion Salem at 5 p.m.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Marlington junior Tommy Skelding stars in 8-1 win over Canton South