By RICHIE HALL
LAWRENCE – University dropped a tough game in the semifinals of the Class 2A baseball semi-state at Lawrence Central on Saturday, June 13.
The Trailblazers fell to Evansville Mater Dei 6-2. University started out strong by scoring two runs in the top of the first inning. David Gasper singled in Ryan Castetter, then the Blazers loaded the bases and Philip Jacobs got home when Beckett Suh drew a walk.
But that would be all. The Wildcats took the lead in the bottom of the first with a three-run home run and stayed in front from that point forward. Mater Dei added two more runs in the third inning and another run in the fourth.
“Anytime you’re playing infield-in or infield-halfway, you’re not having the best of days,” said University coach Chris Estep. “We were put into some positions that we didn’t want to be put in. Everything we thought they would do, they did. We knew that they were going to be a really good contact team and we knew [they had] some power in the middle of the lineup.”
Castetter finished with two hits, followed by one hit each for Oliver Kingery and Gasper. Catcher Sterling Davis Jr. threw out two Mater Dei runners at home. Starting pitcher Cooper Cammack threw two strikeouts in 2.2 innings, then Caleb Stocker struck out three in 2.1 innings of relief.
University finished its season 21-11, defending its sectional and regional championships.
“We played an outstanding schedule, and we competed,” said Estep. “And I thought we competed all the way up until the very end of that game.”
While the coach admitted there were some things he would’ve differently in the semi-state game, he also said “you can’t play this game in a rear-view mirror.”
“Every kid in our program got better this year, and that’s what’s important,” said Estep.
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