By RICH TORRES
PLYMOUTH – Fishers head coach Matthew Cherry wrestled with is words and his sentiments on Saturday as his players bounced around like kids at a sandlot on Bill Nixon Field at Centennial Park.
He remembered the lean years, the beginning, 12 years ago, when the Tigers baseball program had no home field, holding all its home games and practices off school grounds at Trinity Sports Park in Noblesville because the grass turf wasn’t quite ready.
He look around at his assistant coaches, his best friends, who are more like family than mere colleagues, like Darren Simms, an anchor at his side since the start.
He recalled the 2011 team that reached the sectional finals but couldn’t quite breakthrough. Cherry thought back to last year’s regional championship heartbreak against Zionsville.
Every step, each progression along the way played a pivotal role in the reality of Saturday’s achievement.
For the first time in program history, the Tigers could call themselves a semi-state champion, and more specifically, a state qualifier. Right where they aimed to be, and now are in position to become even more.
“There’s a lot of emotions. It’s been a lot of hard work,” Cherry remarked after his Tigers knocked off Chesterton 5-3 in the Class 4A Plymouth semi-state. “I’m so proud of our guys. I don’t have the words.”
Few of his players could verbalize what was unfolding either. “Special” and “Unbelievable” collectively came to mind as they tried to process the moment.
Confident in their abilities from Day 1 of winter workouts, it’s another thing to reach a long-term goal, and with the perfect mix of studious aggression at the plate, clutch pitching and a little bit of luck on Saturday, the No. 2 Tigers are now that much closer.
“I can’t tell you how many people told me before this week, ‘if you make it to state, we’ll be there.’ This is huge. Our school rallies around us. We got kids watching us. It’s not about us. It’s about all of Fishers baseball, Fishers athletics and Fishers High School,” senior Luke Albright said. “To do it for them and along with them is something special.”
While Fishers’ 10th straight win wasn’t perfect, it was enough to secure a coveted spot at Victory Field to face off against the defending 4A state champion Cathedral Fighting Irish at 7:30 p.m. Friday. One more step. One win away from a potential first state title.
“After last year, the goal was to be right back where we are now, and once we got there to go forward and keep on going,” junior Jon Vore said. “This year has been a lot of fun.”
The Tigers’ first inning against Chesterton was defining. A team centered on persistence made use of it as Albright knuckled down to wipe clean a bases-loaded situation in the top of the first that nearly foiled the Tigers’ quest.
Senior Grant Richardson turned the initial pressure into ease in the bottom of the first, letting a failed bunt attempt roll off his back to spark the Tigers toward a 4-0 lead.
“Our guys execute scouting reports to the T,” Cherry said. “They executed the scouting report perfectly in the first inning.”
A leadoff walk by J.J. Woolwine set the Tigers in motion, followed by Craig Yoho getting hit by a pitch as Chesterton starter Austin Peterson started to unravel.
With both runners on and Richardson up, the Tigers’ three-hole hitter stayed patient as he battled his summer travel baseball teammate one-on-one.
“I told the guys, he works the count and he’s able to locate and you need to hop on his fastball or if you’re down and you think you’re going to get a curveball or slider, then you need to stay through that and not pull off, but attack as much we can,” Richardson said. “Put as much pressure on him.”
Richardson made good on his own advice, lacing a 2-2 offering from Peterson off the right-center field fence to put Fishers ahead 2-0.
Matt Wolff pushed the lead to 3-0 with a one-out single before Alex Jamieson came through with another single to chase Peterson, a Purdue commit, after only 1/3 of an inning.
A Nick Lukac RBI-single off of reliever Chris Torres gave Albright all he needed.
“(Luke) came into the dugout frustrated the first inning. After I got that first hit and scored, I told him, ‘there’s nothing to be worried about. You got your whole team behind you,’” Richardson said.
Albright settled in afterwards, allowing four hits, walking one and striking out five over five innings to eventually earn the win.
A monstrous solo home run by Jamieson that smacked the scoreboard in left field in the bottom of the third increased Fishers lead to 5-0, adding insurance, which loomed large later.
Chesterton (18-8), which eliminated No. 3 Lake Central 4-3 in nine innings en route to their regional championship, charged back.
Using Fishers’ five uncharacteristic errors to their advantage, the Trojans plated two runs in the top of the fifth off a sacrifice fly and a throwing error by Albright to first base.
They added another run in the top of the sixth on a throwing error by Richardson to first, but the Tigers never broke and had some good fortune in the top of the second.
With runners on third and second base after Albright gave up back-to-back one-out singles, Tommy Benson nearly chipped the Tigers’ 4-0 lead in half.
Benson lined a two-out, two-run single into center field on an 0-2 count, but the hit was waved off and the runs were erased due to a catcher’s interference call, which prompted the home plate umpire to rule the ball dead on contact.
Benson’s bat grazed catcher Kiel Brenczewski’s glove, negating the play once the ball was deemed dead, but loading the bases. Albright induced a groundout to end the threat.
“It saved us from two runs,” Jamieson said. “I’ll take it any day.”
Torres provided little in relief with three strikeouts and three hits over 3 2/3 innings after Peterson exited. The Tigers were scoreless the final three innings, but Richardson was equally as stingy.
Tossing two innings for the save, the left-hander struck out Chris Van Eekern to strand runners on third and second in the top of the sixth. In the seventh, he left two runners on second and first with a strikeout and a softly hit grounder for the final out.
Brenczewski scooped up the ball and rocketed it to first base for the game-ending putout, setting off a celebration years in the making.
“The goal from the start has been state, and this group is just resilient in getting there. Even last year, it’s come from that group and has helped us a lot,” Brenczewski said. “Now, we’re going to state.”
One more dogpile, Jamieson remarked after getting clobbered by Wolff as the Tigers scrummed for the third time this state tournament.
“I can’t even put it into words honestly. It’s such an unreal feeling,” Jamieson said.
Fishers 5, Chesterton 3
Fishers AB R H RBI
JJ Woolwine 2 1 0 0
Craig Yoho 2 1 1 0
Grant Richardson 3 1 1 2
Kiel Brenczewski 2 0 0 0
Matt Wolff 3 1 1 1
Alex Jamieson 3 1 2 1
Nick Lukac 3 0 1 1
Jack Roudebush 3 0 0 0
Ben Burton 3 0 1 0
Collin Shelton 0 0 0 0
Totals 24 5 7 5
Score by innings
Chesterton 000 021 0 – 3 9 0
Fishers 401 000 x – 5 7 3
HR: Jamieson. 2B: Richardson, Wolff. HBP: Woolwine, Yoho.
Fishers pitching IP R ER H
Luke Albright (W) 5 2 1 4
Richardson (S) 2 1 1 5
Strikeouts: Albright 5, Richardson 3. Walks: Albright 1.
The Fishers baseball team is going to state for the first time in school history. The Tigers got out to a big early lead and held off a comeback by Chesterton to win the Class 4A Plymouth semi-state on Saturday. Fishers will play Cathedral next weekend in the state championship game. (Photo provided)