Olentangy Orange squeezes past Anthony Wayne in OHSAA Division I baseball semifinal
AKRON — For Olentangy Orange baseball coach Tom Marker, scoring first always has been a priority for his team.
Scoring last, however, proved to be the bigger factor Thursday as the Pioneers rallied twice to beat Whitehouse Anthony Wayne 3-2 in nine innings in a Division I state semifinal at Canal Park.
“I’ll take that all day,” Marker said. “I thought we answered back really well in certain spots. We wanted to score first. They got that first one and that wasn’t what we wanted to have happen, but we had Cole (Cahill) on the mound and a bunch of guys who have bought in. We knew we were going to be all right.”
Orange (23-10) will play Cincinnati Moeller (30-3) for its first state championship at 10 a.m. Saturday. Moeller, which beat Orange 8-2 on April 22 and has won eight state titles, defeated Cuyahoga Falls Walsh Jesuit 2-0 in the first semifinal Thursday.
With the game tied at 2, Cahill tripled to right-center to lead off the bottom of the ninth. One out later, Anthony Wayne coach Ryan Donley opted to intentionally walk the bases loaded.
The move backfired, however, when Keegan Knupp put down a squeeze bunt and Cahill scored, setting off an Orange celebration.
“I just wanted to get the job done — whatever it takes to win — and it happened,” Knupp said. “It felt good. The team coming after me, massive dogpile, there’s no better feeling. I couldn’t be happier.”
Marker credited Knupp for executing the bunt and bringing Cahill home with a berth in the state final on the line.
“He’s a dual-sport kid,” Marker said. “He plays on the (boys basketball) team, too. He’s been in big moments and part of playing multiple sports is it challenges you mentally. He’s a mature kid. He comes from a good family, and we trust all of our guys.”
Jacob Tabor earned the win with a scoreless ninth in relief of Cahill, who allowed six hits while striking out three and walking two in eight innings.
Tabor is expected to start the state final.
“We just battle,” Cahill said. “The run we’re on now is crazy because we’re so connected. We’re just battling. It’s just nuts.”
The Pioneers had scored first in 19 of their first 32 games, including all five postseason contests entering the state semifinal.
Anthony Wayne grabbed the lead in the first when Byrce Anderson led off with a single and later scored on Jack Behnfelft’s RBI fielder’s choice grounder.
Orange had chances throughout the game, including loading the bases in the third, but failed to score until the seventh when it took advantage of four consecutive walks by reliever Dom Carlson.
After Anthony Wayne (27-5) took a 2-1 lead on Behnfeldt’s RBI single in the eighth, Orange answered again in the bottom of the inning when Ian Dando was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded, forcing in Evan Eichel.
Anthony Wayne pitchers walked eight and hit five Orange batters.
Mitch Harder, who was Anthony Wayne’s fourth pitcher, took the loss. Brayden Weis went the first five innings, allowing two hits while striking out one and walking one.
Orange is playing in its second state tournament and first since 2017, when it lost to Strongsville 3-2 in a semifinal.
“We had opportunities, (but) we just couldn’t get that timely hit,” Marker said. “I thought we were squaring the ball up and they were just making defensive plays. It was wild. Our guys kept fighting and their team kept fighting.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Olentangy Orange baseball squeezes way into OHSAA state final
