Watkins Memorial baseball bumped out by Hilliard Bradley in seventh innning

PATASKALA — The Watkins Memorial baseball program often has excelled with an ace at the top of the rotation.

The Warriors did not have that this year, but it did not keep them from having a dominant pitching staff. Junior Brayden Windnagel and senior Cole Massie were strong again on the mound Monday, but a successful squeeze bunt in the top of the seventh inning gave visiting Hilliard Bradley a 2-1 victory in the Division I district semifinals.

“Our pitching staff was pretty good,” Watkins coach Donald Schone said. “It’s the key hit. If we start getting the key hit, our one-run games are different. I get tired of losing the one-run games. I have to figure out how to win them. … We didn’t execute some things. They got the bunt down, which was crucial. We missed our bunt opportunity,"

The No. 22 Jaguars (15-15) won their third consecutive one-run game and advanced to play No. 2 Grove City on Wednesday. The No. 16 Warriors (17-9) were hoping to play in a district final for the first time since 2015 and instead lost for the fifth consecutive season in the semifinal round, including three in the last at-bat.

Windnagel struck out four and allowed four hits and one run in four innings. Massie threw three hitless innings of relief, but Evan Rygalski reached on a hit-by-pitch to lead off the seventh before advancing on a passed ball and two bunts, the second from Nick Barkhimer.

“We are playing in an (Ohio Capital Conference) division that is the best in central Ohio,” Bradley coach Dave Starling said. “With the teams we have to play on a daily basis, it just helps prepare us for these moments. You get 16-, 17-, 18-year old young men, so you do not know (how they will react), but they have done a great job just making the routine plays.”

Windnagel and Massie previously combined on a four-hit shutout in 2-0 victory against Westerville Central.

Massie and his twin brother Chase Massie combined to allow just five earned runs 51 innings on a staff that registered a 1.14 ERA on the season. Seniors Braiden Bates and Luke Smith and junior Bradley Vincent also were stellar on the mound for the throwing to the experienced catching tandem of senior Andrew Botts and junior Trent Johnson.

“This (senior) group has been phenomenal on leadership, and everything else,” Schone said. “It’s a great group of kids that love each other. They showed that to the younger group. If you fight together, you stay together, you play together, you always have shots.”

Watkins recorded six hits, which is four more than their previous victory against the Warhawks. The Warriors, however, left a runner on base in six of seven innings and had a runner caught stealing.

Bradley right-hander Logan Minamyer struck out 12 without a walk. That came on the heels of Ethan Williams throwing a two-hit shut out in last week's 1-0 victory at Newark.

“Our pitching staff has just been lights out,” Starling said. “It’s unbelievable what they’ve done.”

Junior Noah Ciotti, who was the Warriors’ leading hitter at .317 in his first season of regular varsity play, doubled and singled. Classmate Aydan Guthrie singled and scored the only run on a Chase Massie ground out.

Watkins had its run of three consecutive Licking County League-Buckeye Division championships snapped by Licking Valley, but playing a strong non-league schedule, including victories against Grove City and Gahanna, again paid off in the district seeding. The Warriors continued their mark of consistent success.

“When you put the time and effort into it, it’s hard to lose your last game,” Schone said. “There is only one team that is never going to lose their last game. The reality is based on percentages, you are never going to win your last game, but hopefully someday we do. I still believe we have a good enough program to do it.”

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Watkins Memorial baseball bumped out by Hilliard Bradley in seventh innning