GAME PHOTOS: http://smu.gs/2q71SeF
There was significance for both Berkshire and Cardinal as the baseball teams met last week at John W. Gander Field in Burton.
It was Senior Day for the Badgers, who have 11 seniors on the roster. And it was the day after Cardinal passed its first new levy since 1992.
As the pitching battling moved its way through the box score, both Will Blechshmid of Berkshire and Parker Kosh of Cardinal throwing shutouts, it began to take on more significance for Cardinal.
The Huskies have not beaten the Badgers in a baseball game since 2007, a 10-year streak that is the last to remain alive in boys or girls varsity sports between these two rivals.
Although both pitchers were in trouble throughout the day, both continued to work out of jams. Cardinal failed to score with two on and one out in the first. Berkshire had a runner on third and one out in the third. But Kosh and Blechshmid kept outs when they needed them most.
With the scored tied at 0-0 in the seventh inning, the Huskies finally broke through. Kosh singled to start the inning. Trent Mast reached on an infield single to second with two outs. Mason Lustig was hit by a pitch, and Cam Klepper was hit by a pitch, driving in the first run of the game.
But Cardinal had the bases loaded, and Brandon Jones came in relief to end the inning, allowing just the one run.
With Berkshire’s seniors due up in the seventh inning, the Badgers had just four hits in the game. The Huskies had not made a mistake in the field. But in a flash, Nick Hunt walked to start the inning. Blechchmid doubled over the head of the center fielder. And Aaron Pawlak doubled in the winning run on a head-first slide to home plate.
Ten years of losing was three outs away. But Berkshire closed the deal on Senior Day.
“It was everything you want,” Blechschmid said. “You want to have to come back in the last inning and get a walk-off.”
Blechschild was ahead in the count 2-0 when hit ripped the double to center. Head coach Brian Hiscox called time and met with Blechschmid down the line, seemingly coaching him to be patient.
“I was actually going to bunt,” the senior said. “I just took a nice easy swing. The rest handled itself.”
Blechschmid has become the Badgers’ go-to pitcher at the end of the season, mixing his pitching and throwing strikes. Will allowed one run on six hits, striking out six and walking three.
“I wasn’t hitting the spots like I usually do,” he said of the game. “I just have one simple job, and that’s to let them hit the ball.”
“We like to make it interesting, and at least we got the W,” said senior Pawlak, who had the winning RBI. “That’s all we care about.”
Pawlak just wanted an opportunity to tie the game. When he had a chance to win it, he made the most of it.
Pawlak from shortstop leads the defense with senior Nick Guarnera up the middle. The Berkshire infield made no mistakes, another reason they were able to win the game.
“Hats off to Cardinal. They played extremely well,” said Berkshire coach Hiscox afterward. “Parker did a good job throwing strikes, mixing in curveballs and fastballs. It seemed like we got guys on with two outs, but couldn’t push anything across.”
It was the first walk-off win for the Badgers this year.
Brian George is in his seventh season leading the Huskies. Cardinal is a young team that hits sophomores — Brice Hogue, Matt Carney, Jacob Gotham — in the middle of the lineup. Only Blake Hershberger and Mast are seniors in the Cardinal order.
George continues to put the Huskies in a position to improve, but another loss to Berkshire despite a positive spin.
“We played a pretty good game today, and this is what this rivalry is all about,” George said after the game. “Both teams went out there. Both guys on the hill were throwing their hearts out. We came up just a little bit short in the end.”
“We didn’t get our bats going as well as we could have,” Kosh said. “Naturally, everyone was excited. But we didn’t get it done.”
He added: “Things happen. We’ll get them next time.”
The two teams are slated to play again on Friday at Cardinal.
To see a video replay of the first meeting, you can visit www.geaugatv.org, where you can watch for free on-demand or order a DVD.
Video Interviews with Hiscox, Blechschmid and Pawlak are available on the online version of this story.
GAME PHOTOS: http://smu.gs/2q71SeF