By RICHIE HALL
Even though the University baseball team fell just short at Victory Field Saturday afternoon, the Trailblazers could hold their heads high after the game.
University battled Daleville to the very end in the IHSAA Class 1A state championship game, and then for a couple innings after that. The teams were tied at 2-2 after the regulation seventh inning, and the game wasn’t decided until the ninth inning, when the Broncos scored twice to win the state title 4-2.
“It was great,” said Trailblazers coach Chris Estep. “It was a great run. What else can you ask for? It was a great game.”
“Granted, everybody wants to win,” said Estep. “But in the context of everything, that’s not what’s important. Those guys went out and they played their butts off. Couldn’t be more proud of them. They never quit.”
This was the first-ever appearance for University at the baseball state finals. Estep has been coaching the ‘Blazers for the past 10 seasons, and he was aware of how far the program had come since the most humble of beginnings.
“Considering we won one game in three years when we first started, it’s come a long way,” said Estep. “Our seasons always seemed to end in the sectionals, and we’re finishing today in the state finals. Where we were, where we’ve come from, it’s monumental.”
And the Trailblazers didn’t leave Victory Field completely empty-handed. Senior Ryan Williams won the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award for Class 1A baseball, becoming the first University student-athlete to receive that prestigious honor.
“It feels great,” said Williams, the Trailblazers’ center fielder. “I feel good to represent my school well and to be here, to even make it to the state championship is new to us, and I’m just glad that I got to be a part of it.”
University was taking on a Daleville team that has established a recent baseball tradition. The Broncos won the 1A state title in 2016, with four players from that team on this year’s squad.
In fact, it was one of those experienced players that scored the first run in Saturday’s game. Josh Price got Daleville on the board in the first inning; he scored on a fielder’s choice from Jared Waltermire.
The Broncos held their 1-0 lead until the bottom of the fourth inning, when the ‘Blazers finally got on the board. Asher Thompson drew a walk, stole second base, then was sent home by a single from Kolton Stevens.
Daleville answered right away in the top of the fifth. Max Stecher hit a lead-off double, then Ryan Hale smacked his own double to get Stecher home and the Broncos up 2-1.
University quickly tied things up in the bottom of the inning, however. Garrett Hill got on base with a one-out hit, stole second, moved to third when Brock Moore hit a sacrifice fly, then scored on an error. That made the score 2-2.
Neither team scored in the sixth and seventh innings, so it was on to extras. The ‘Blazers came extremely close in the eighth inning: University went for a game-winning score with two outs, but got tagged out at home for the third out.
Daleville then took over in the ninth inning: Stecher drew a walk, stole second, and scored on Hale’s RBI single. A fielder’s choice moved Hale to second, and he scored on a hit from Wiltermire.
Moore came in to pitch, and struck out the last two batters. He also got on base in the bottom of the ninth, reaching on error with two outs. But a lineout to shortstop ended the game.
“Hats off to them,” said Estep. “Their pitcher threw a heck of a game. He did a great job.”
Evan Etchison pitched seven innings for Daleville, allowing just five hits while striking out nine. But University’s Cade Carlson pitched well, too. Carlson went six innings, also giving up only five hits while tossing nine strikeouts.
The Trailblazers finished their season 28-7, which included a championship in the Pioneer Conference, their first sectional title since 2013, plus the first-ever regional and semi-state championships. University is setting itself up well for the future, as there are six freshmen on the roster, including three in the batting line-up on Saturday.
But the solid senior class will be missed, a list that includes Hill, Carlson and Williams, who will play baseball at Morehouse College, where he plans to study kinesiology and health science, while minoring in business.
Williams is the son of Raifael and Sabrina Williams and has received recognition and appreciation for multiple community service activities. Williams volunteers with Gleaners Food Bank, St. Vincent DePaul Food Pantry, Witherspoon Food Pantry and his church.
In addition, Williams participates in Jack & Jill of America, the Boys & Girls Club, Black Affinity Club and the Blaze Craze, University’s athletic spirit club.
“We worked our butts off all year,” said Williams. “We put in everything we had and I’m okay with that. I can live with it, even though we didn’t win. It opens up the eyes to other people in the baseball world that University is here to stay.”
Daleville 4, University 2
(9 innings)
Daleville AB R H RBI
Josh Price 4 1 0 0
Max Stecher 3 2 1 0
Ryan Hale 4 1 2 2
Peyton Smith 3 0 0 0
Jared Waltermire 4 0 1 2
Ethan Pittsford 4 0 0 0
Blaine Tighe 0 0 0 0
Cayden Gothrup 4 0 0 0
Ayden Wilson 1 0 0 0
Evan Etchison 3 0 2 0
Jimmy Bowen 4 0 1 0
Totals 34 4 7 4
2B: Stecher, Hale. SB: Stecher, Smith, Waltermire. SAC: Stecher.
Daleville pitching IP R ER H
Etchison 7.0 2 1 5
Gothrup 0.1 0 0 1
Smith 1.2 0 0 1
Strikeouts: Etchison 9, Smith 1. Walks: Etchison 5.
University AB R H RBI
Dawson Estep 4 0 1 0
Garrett Hill 5 1 1 0
Brock Moore 3 0 1 0
Tyler Galyean 4 0 0 0
Ben Ewer 3 0 1 0
Asher Thompson 3 1 0 0
Nate Shatkowski 4 0 1 0
Kolton Stevens 4 0 1 1
Ryan Williams 4 0 1 0
Totals 35 2 7 1
2B: Ewer, Moore. SB: Hill 3, Galyean, Stevens, Thompson. HBP: Ewer.
University pitching IP R ER H
Cade Carlson 6.0 2 2 5
Hill 2.1 2 2 2
Moore 0.2 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Carlson 9, Hill 3, Moore 2. Walks: Carlson 5, Hill 3.
Daleville 100 010 002 – 4 7 3
University 000 110 000 – 2 7 1
The University baseball team finished its season as runner-up in the IHSAA Class 1A state finals Saturday at Victory Field. The Trailblazers battled Daleville to the end before falling 4-2 in nine innings. (Kent Graham)
University’s Ryan Williams won the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award for Class 1A baseball. Williams will attend Morehouse College to play baseball and study kinesiology and health science, with a minor in business. (Kent Graham)