Licking Heights players vault Stingers past Athletics
NEWARK — The Athletics 16U hoped it had Ben Pennington struck out on a pitch near the top of the strike zone Saturday. The Licking Heights senior then sent the next pitch into the left-center gap.
Pennington’s two-run double in the top of the sixth inning clinched a 4-1 victory for the Ohio Stingers 16U/17U against the A’s during the Can of Corn Prospect Tournament at Newark’s Joe Neff Field.
"I have been struggling pretty much all year," Pennington said. "To barrel some balls up felt good."
The victory helped send the Heights-based Stingers into a semifinal against the Columbus Cobras Jenkins 17U at 9 a.m. Sunday at Denison. The Stingers fell 9-8 to the Cobras later Saturday, but they earned a rematch against the top seed after finishing 2-1-1 in pool play.
Heights senior Tyler Von Bargen threw a two-hitter against the A’s, striking out 11. He also had an RBI single to give the Stingers the lead for good in the third and opened the sixth with a double before Gahanna’s Mason Ewald walked ahead of Pennington’s clutch hit.
"We are just staying focused, keeping our eyes on the prize and working for school season," Von Bargen said. "This was a pretty big game for me. I have just started getting back into my swing because I was injured during school ball."
Colts Elite Boroff 17U, which is led by four Johnstown players, plays the Grove City Titans in the second semifinal at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday at Denison with the championship to follow.
The A’s had hoped to put themselves into the mix for a semifinal spot in the 15-team event, but they could never get the key hit Saturday. They went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position, finishing 1-2-1 against primarily older competition.
"It's baseball. It's an up-and-down whirlwind," A's coach Daniel Pettit said. "We just didn't hit this weekend as well as we should have. ... The 17U division we are in has some talented teams. It's fun to get them exposure. As much as it's about wins and losses, it's about building the high school programs in the county and surrounding areas we have."
Newark Catholic senior Braylon Bates nearly worked out of a jam in the top of the first inning for the A’s, striking out three consecutive batters around a run-scoring wild pitch.
Von Bargen allowed his only run when a strikeout with two outs went to the backstop.
"They didn't really have any hits off of me that inning," Von Bargen said. "I just had to keep pitching and see what happens."
Newark junior Thomas Olon had both hits for the A’s, and Bates struck out 10. In Friday’s 7-5 victory against the Redstorm 17U, Heath’s Riley Baum and NC’s Owen Helms had two hits and two runs scored apiece, and Sheridan’s Ryan Kuhn had a hit and two RBI, backing Olon and New Lexington’s Garrett Blosser on the mound.
The A’s are looking forward to battling in the 16U division of the upcoming Buckeye Elite. They recently took fifth in the 32-team Cincy Flames Summer Classic.
"The progression is key," said Pettit, the president of the Athletics Baseball Association, who has coached this team since the players were 10 years old. "I have them plugged and playing where they do for their high school teams, but we have quite a bit of selflessness on the team where they will play wherever I ask them to. It's a great bunch of kids."
Heights’ Tyler Lopinto and Kaleb Ribbing and Central Crossing’s Elisha Jackson also had two hits each for the Stingers against the A’s.
The Stingers, who have nine Hornets on the roster, finish their summer in West Palm Beach, Florida, later this month.
"It helps with team chemistry, and you just get to know each other a little more outside of school," Pennington said. "Just playing over the summer helps build a little more camaraderie."
ksnyder@newarkadvocate.com
740-973-4541
Twitter: @newarkurt
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking Heights Hornets baseball players vault Stingers past Athletics
