Pitching dominates as Tri-Valley drops Meadowbrook baseball

DRESDEN — Pitching has set the tone throughout the season for Tri-Valley.

It was the same formula on Tuesday, as winning pitcher Kyler Brennen and two relievers held 15th seed Meadowbrook to four hits in a 9-0 victory in the Division II sectional final.

The second-seeded Scotties will face eighth seed Indian Valley in a district semifinal at 5 p.m. Monday at a site to be determined.

Brennen allowed all four Colts hits to go with six strikeouts and two walks in five innings, while Brady Kaufman and Kade Hindel had two strikeouts in a scoreless inning of relief apiece.

Tri-Valley coach Marc Hadley has been impressed with the consistency of his pitching staff.

"It hasn't just been our starters; our relievers have been outstanding, too," Hadley said. "It's easier for pitchers to stay locked in, even with the weather and being inside. They've been able to stay on top of their games, and it's why I believe we have a chance to survive and advance going forward."

Brennen also noted the staff focuses on execution.

"It doesn't matter who is on the mound, each of us throws strikes," he said. "Each of us brings something different, and we avoid the barrels of the bats, giving up a lot of soft contact. It also helps to have an outfield that is like a no-fly zone."

Offense comes to life late

Tri-Valley struggled to put much pressure on Meadowbrook starter Gunner Davis until the sixth inning.

Hindel scored on a wild pitch in the second and Brady Kaufman's two-run single with two outs in the fourth put the Scotties up 3-0.

They broke the game open with six runs on five hits in the sixth. Ethan McClellan got the rally going with a two-run double, Kian Drummonds and Hindel hit two-out RBI singles and Ryan Lamonica's double down the left-field line brought in two to cap the scoring.

McClellan, Lamonica and Gavin Harrold had two hits apiece, while Hindel, McClellan and Daniel Huffman scored twice for Tri-Valley, which had a week off between games.

"We haven't played for awhile so it took some time. It feels to get back on track with nine runs and 11 hits," Brennen said. "Everyone knows how to execute what's asked. We'll get into the cages and get some swings so we can keep that feel."

Davis took the loss for the Colts, allowing nine runs on 11 hits with three strikeouts and three walks in 5 2/3 innings, while Kam Winnett had two hits and Kade Winnett and Max Stone also had hits for the Colts.

Familiar foe awaits

Indian Valley and Tri-Valley have played each other several times in recent sesaons, and Hadley expects another highly-contested game.

He also credited Davis for challenging his lineup and hopes that experience will benefit his squad.

"He was hitting his spots. He had a good curveball and was moving his fastball in and out," Hadley said. "He had us off-balance, and we were popping it up. When we hit it on the ground, that's when we had success.

"We missed a few chances, and at this time of year, you have to execute in those moments," he added. "There are no bad teams left at this point. We need to go out and execute. We have to be ready for first-pitch fastballs and be able to deliver with runners in scoring position. Every game from here on out comes down to who does the little things better."

bhannahs@gannett.com; X: @brandonhannahs