Bulldogs rout Burris, prep for Wapahani
May 22—FRANKTON — There will be much more fierce foes laying in wait for the Sectional 40 favorite from Lapel to be sure, but Wednesday's opener against an outmanned Muncie Burris squad did serve a purpose.
There should be no postseason jitters remaining when the Bulldogs continue their pursuit of their first sectional title since 2015.
Hogan Bair pitched four strong innings, and Class 2A 10th-ranked Lapel (18-8) poured runs out in bunches — including a staggering 13-run first frame — to roll past the Owls 19-1 in the Sectional 40 opener late Wednesday.
"It's nice to have that game after four days of practice and a Sunday," Lapel coach Matt Campbell said. "That seems like a lot after a grueling season, so it's nice to get out and see some live pitching, regardless of who it is."
That first inning for Lapel featured 11 hits, all coming after Burris starter Timo Minnich retired the leadoff batter routinely. But a walk followed and, after five straight singles, Eli Suchocki doubled to left to drive in a pair and push the lead to 7-0.
One out later, Camden Novak hit the first of his two triples to drive in another, and after Kai Newman was hit by a pitch, Rylie Hudson, Cody Baker and Landon Brown singled in succession before Suchocki capped the frame with his second two-run hit of the inning, and it was 13-0 right off the bat.
With solid defense behind him, Bair had the added confidence of working with a rather comfortable cushion when he returned to the mound.
"It felt pretty good. I knew my defense was behind me, and we've been practicing under the lights all week," he said. "We were well prepared for this game, I knew they were going to make plays. If I put it in the strike zone, we'd be fine."
Bair surrendered just the one run — it was unearned — in the third when Beau Edwards tripled to deep left center and continued on to home plate, scoring when the relay throw glanced off Hudson's glove. He allowed just three hits, struck out seven and walked two during his time on the mound.
After Minnich retired the Bulldogs in order in the second — the only perfect frame for either side — Lapel sent nine more batters to the plate in the third. Jackson Cripe, Talan Jarrett and Novak added RBI before Cripe singled in one last run in the fourth and final Lapel at-bat.
"To be able to lock in, regardless of the situation, and put together good at-bats and not try to do too much, maintain their focus, that was awesome to see," Campbell said. "We saw a lot of line drives and hard ground balls."
The Bulldogs face a quick turnaround after their fourth straight win as they will face long-time nemesis Wapahani (11-15) in the semifinal round after the Raiders defeated the Golden Bears 4-1 in the first game Wednesday.
No matter the Raiders' record, Campbell knows his team will need to take the Wapahani program seriously.
"The foundation of baseball is there, and that doesn't go away when a coach retires or the players graduate," he said. "They play great baseball at times, and they have the guys to do it, so we have to take it seriously like any other game."
That game will be played at Frankton on Thursday at 5:30 p.m. and will be followed by the second semifinal game between the host Eagles and Winchester. Frankton (13-11) has recovered from an 0-4 start and is playing as well as anyone in this sectional while the defending champion Golden Falcons enter at 17-7 and have won 10 of their last 12 games.
Contact Rob Hunt at rob.hunt@heraldbulletin.com or 765-640-4886.
