Ohio Bison 14u shows it can compete with the big dogs in Buckeye Elite

NEWARK ― Even with all of its success over the past two seasons, this one felt different for the Ohio Bison 14u team.

A resume filled with five tournament titles in 2023 and three more thus far this summer to go with a 52-8 record has been accomplished with mostly the same players. But the Bison felt they had something to prove Saturday in the Buckeye Elite semifinals at Don Edwards Park, against Ohio's top-ranked Ohio Hit Dogs National 14u (59-12).

Trailing 5-2 in the seventh inning, they proved their mettle, rallying to force extra innings, then seizing a 6-5 victory in the eighth to earn Sunday's championship game in Ohio State's Bill Davis Stadium.

"They're a great team, winning like 60 games while traveling across the country," head coach Mike Kopachy said. "But we came in with a little chip on our shoulder. We were 13th ranked and wanted to show that we're right there with anyone."

He called Buckeye Elite the biggest tournament in the Midwest, and adding this as their fourth title would carry some extra meaning. They still have the Country Roads Season Closer Tournament to go in West Virginia.

"If you have a belief, you can accomplish anything, and it just felt like you did today," Kopachy told the team, which includes four players from Newark and two from Granville, most who will be freshmen at their high schools. "It was a heck of an outing by number 10 (Newark lefty Brody Randall), and I think we still have a lot left in the tank."

Not only did Randall throw four innings of one-hit, one-run relief, striking out five and walking one, but he drew a game-winning bases-loaded walk in the eighth. That was after the Bison rallied to tie it with three in the seventh, Westerville South's Jack DeWeese delivering a two-out, two-run triple to score Teays Valley's Tanner Smith and Randall. Then Granville's Chase Shepherd forced a high throw on his chopper to short, scoring DeWeese.

"I was just trying to make contact and make a play, whether it was getting on by a single or an error," Shepherd said. "I'm probably a mid as a runner, so I just went as hard as I could and let the adrenaline take over."

The momentum carried over, as Newark's Tayvian Green, who entered the game in the fifth at shortstop, led off with a single. After losing pitcher Brody Orsborne made a diving catch on Gavin Watner's sacrifice bunt, Smith walked and Newark's Michael Kopachy was hit by a pitch for the second time. Randall then walked on four pitches, touching off a huge celebration as Green scored.

"Green is always ready," Randall said. "He's struggled a little lately, but we're still confident he's going to do what needs to be done."

Added Green: "I got the opportunity, and I took advantage of it. It's probably the best win we've ever had, and we showed them that we're one of the best teams, too."

The Bison left five on base in the first two innings but still led 2-0 as Smith singled in the first, continued to second as the center fielder overran the ball, and went to third on Michael Kopachy's bunt single. He scored on a wild pitch, then doubled off the left field fence in the second to score Pickerington North's Niko Agganis and make it 2-0.

It wasn't the local team's best performance. After Landon Arnold homered to left, the Hit Dogs took advantage of three Bison errors and opened a 4-2 lead in the fourth. The host club also had one runner thrown out at the plate trying to score on a lineout to left and another cut down attempting to stretch a single into a double.

Although Randall allowed a run in the seventh, making it 5-2, he kept his team in the game in relief of Ridgewood's Maison Kiser who gave up five hits and four runs, only two of them earned.

"I put it in God's hands," Randall said. "I kept calm, and when I do that everything is the best I can be. They were doing a lot of talking, but I tuned it out and just kept pumping it up there. I talked to my teammates there at the end and I told them that we were not out of the game. Nothing is done until the final out."

Smith, named MVP of the Bison's Prep Baseball Report Summer Invitational title run, Kopachy and Shepherd had two hits apiece for the winners, while Agganis made two stellar defensive plays in right field.

"This is a game of second chances, having a short memory, stepping up and putting it behind you," Mike Kopachy said. "We could have buckled there after they took the lead, but we re-focused and got the job done."

Shepherd said it was indeed a special win.

"Going up against really good players, and teams, I've gotten better and I know the team has gotten better," he said.

Grant McMullen is the fourth Wildcat on the team and has been slowed by a shoulder injury, while Granville's Levi Legg has also contributed.

"When we (the Newark players) get to the high school, we're bringing an amazing unit," Randall said. "Hopefully, we can help them go on a championship run."

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Ohio Bison 14u shows it can compete with the big dogs in Buckeye Elite