The University baseball team got to make its long-awaited move to Class 2A this season, after missing last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The No. 8-ranked Trailblazers, the defending 1A state champions, proved they belong in 2A with convincing wins at the Cascade sectional on Monday. University beat Covenant Christian 7-3 in the semi-finals, then stunned the No. 1-ranked host Cadets 8-2 to claim the school’s third consecutive sectional title, and its first in 2A. The ‘Blazers have won five sectionals overall.
Cascade scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the first inning. The Trailblazers tied things up in the top of the third when Grady Hay scored on Adam Oxley’s RBI groundout.
The ‘Blazers let loose for six runs in the fourth inning. Weber Morse singled in Zane Kampmeier to put University up 2-1. That lead swelled to 5-1 after Tyler Galyean ripped a triple into right field, scoring Thomas Price, Morse and Hay. Seth Hogg then cracked a two-run hit into center field, sending Galyean and Luke Hellman home.
“We had an outstanding inning,” said UHS coach Chris Estep. “Our pitching was phenomenal. We gave up one hit tonight. We walked a few, which was unfortunate, but when the chips were down, they made the pitches that counted.”
The Trailblazers added one more run in the seventh inning, with Price’s center field hit sending Hogg home. Hogg finished the game with two hits.
Matt Moore got the pitching win, going three and one-third innings and allowing no hits. Galyean relieved him and got the saves, striking out seven.
University cruised past Covenant Christian 7-3 in its semi-final game. The Trailblazers scored a run in the first inning, with Seth Hogg’s right field hit sending Tyler Galyean home.
In the second inning, University added two runs. Grady Hay bunted in Matt Moore, then Weber Morse stole home. Moore would score again in the fourth inning on a wild pitch.
Hay picked up another RBI in the sixth inning, as his single sent Zane Kampmeier in to score. Adam Oxley finished the scoring in the seventh inning with a two-run home run, also sending in Luke Hellman.
Hellman, Oxley and Hay all finished with two hits, with Hellman hitting a double. Grayson Knight pitched five innings for the win, striking out six.
“Making the jump to 2A, we’re really happy,” said Estep. “We’re looking forward to the regional and finding out who we’re going to play.”
University is 21-9 and will return to Cascade on Saturday for the regional. The ‘Blazers will play No. 6-ranked Centerville at 11 a.m. in the first semi-final, with Knightstown and Parke Heritage playing the second semi-final at 1 p.m. The winners advance to the 7 p.m. championship game.
UNIVERSITY 7, COVENANT CHRISTIAN 3
University AB R H RBI
Tyler Galyean 4 1 1 0
Luke Hellman 3 1 2 0
Adam Oxley 4 1 2 2
Seth Hogg 4 0 1 1
Jake Hooker 4 0 1 0
Matt Moore 2 2 0 0
Weber Morse 3 1 1 0
Zane Kampmeier 0 1 0 0
Grayson Knight 1 0 0 0
Owen Schellhase 1 0 1 0
Thomas Price 0 0 0 0
Grady Hay 3 0 2 2
Totals 29 7 11 5
Score by Innings
University 120 101 2 – 7 11 0
Covenant 000 003 0 – 3 4 0
HR: Oxley. 2B: Hellman. SB: Oxley, Hooker, Hellman, Morse. SAC: Knight, Hellman. HBP: Morse.
University pitching IP R ER H
Knight (W) 5 2 2 3
Oxley 2 1 1 1
Strikeouts: Knight 6, Oxley 4. Walks: Knight 1.
UNIVERSITY 8, CASCADE 2
University AB R H RBI
Tyler Galyean 3 1 1 3
Luke Hellman 4 1 1 0
Adam Oxley 4 0 1 0
Seth Hogg 4 1 2 2
Jake Hooker 3 0 0 0
Matt Moore 4 0 1 0
Thomas Price 2 1 1 1
Weber Morse 4 1 1 1
Grady Hay 2 2 1 0
Zane Kampmeier 0 1 0 0
Totals 30 8 9 7
Score by Innings
University 001 600 1 – 8 9 2
Cascade 100 100 0 – 2 1 1
3B: Galyean. SB: Price, Hogg. SAC: Hooker. HBP: Galyean.
University pitching IP R ER H
Moore (W) 3.1 2 2 0
Galyean (S) 3.2 0 0 1
Strikeouts: Galyean 7, Moore 4. Walks: Moore 4, Galyean 2.