High School Boys Baseball
Mount Pulaski defeats Senators 3-1 in extras
Luke Martin hits a two-run blast off the scoreboard

 

[April 27, 2024] 

On paper it was just a regular season baseball game (scheduled at the last minute) on a Thursday afternoon between Class 1A Mount Pulaski and Class 3A Springfield High School but in person at Robin Roberts Stadium it was one incredible matchup beginning with the starting pitchers, Chance Payne and Sam Hartl.

The game featured 31 total strikeouts, nine innings of sitting on the edge of your seat action, six hits between the two teams and one game-deciding home run off the Lucky Horseshoes scoreboard in the top of the ninth inning to break a 1-1 tie game.

Mount Pulaski head coach Joel Washko said it best.

“A great high school baseball game,” said Washko. “Outstanding pitching from both sides. Chance (Payne) has had some great performances this year but this maybe was his most impressive. He really did a great job against some very good Senator bats. He had very good command and mixed things up very well. I think he absolutely should be in the discussion as one of the top players in our part of the state. We had a hard time at the plate, but had some really timely hitting in the fourth inning and ninth inning. Eric Cooper’s double was our first hit of the game. I actually thought Tucker Fitzpatrick stealing third prior to that hit by Eric was a huge energy boost. Tucker got a great jump, did what we practice, and you could feel our energy rise after that. And then in the ninth inning, Chance had a great at bat, eight pitches and then lined one over the right fielder for a double. And then for Luke to come up in that spot and drive it over the fence against a really good arm, really amazing. I don’t think Luke is rattled by any sort of situation. He also did a great job in relief, especially in the eighth inning, tremendous poise. I also thought Franklin Wade did an excellent job behind the plate. Throwing a runner out stealing early certainly deterred a few would-be runners. Overall, just an excellent win. I am really proud of how we battled and the consistent energy we had. It felt like a playoff game and it was exactly the type of game we needed to play.”

It was exactly the kind of test the Hilltoppers needed at this point in the season. A lot of their games have been blowouts, with the exception of the one loss to Lexington. But without a doubt the players needed a close game to test their resilience and each and every player proved their ability to step up and play.

The Senators scored a run in the first inning off Payne but the damage could’ve been worse had it not been for catcher Franklin Wade. Wade threw out the lead-off hitter, Enrico Veach, who had reached on a single, as he was trying to steal second. The no. 3 hitter, Seth Impson, walked and he stole second and after a pick-off attempt landed in centerfield, Impson raced around to score the first run of the game. Payne managed to strike out the no. 2 and no. 5 hitters in the inning and the 1-0 lead was all the Senators would have to enjoy for three innings. The no. 4 hitter, Ethan Rutter, also had a single in the inning. The Senators had just two hits in the game and those were in that first inning.

In the top of the fourth inning, Mount Pulaski finally got a baserunner when Payne reached on an error by the centerfielder. The Hilltoppers finally got a run when Eric Cooper cracked a double to center and Tucker Fitzpatrick, the courtesy runner for Payne, scored the tying run. Fitzpatrick had previously taken second on a wild pitch and he also stole third while Cooper was in the batter’s box. As Washko alluded to in his comments, this sequence of events was huge in so many ways and led to the game being tied at 1-1.

The next four and half innings would be scoreless baseball with Payne hitting a wasted double in the top of the sixth inning.

The bottom of the sixth inning would be a three up and three down kind of inning for the Senators, with Payne striking out two of those batters.

The only excitement in the top of the seventh inning was Tyler Cross getting nailed in the kneecap with a pitch. The three outs were pretty quick and Cross stayed in the game fortunately.

Payne exited the mound in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out, having thrown 104 pitches.

Luke Martin entered the game and recorded one quick out, issued a walk that led to nothing and then he caught a pop fly near the mound. Martin breathed a sigh of relief after the catch and came off the field ready to do battle in extras.

The top of the eighth inning was not what Mount Pulaski had hoped for. Three swinging strikeouts and Veach sent the Hilltoppers back to the dugout to grab their gloves to take the field again.

The Senators managed to get two ducks on the pond in the bottom of the eighth inning. With one out, two walks were issued by Martin, but Washko stuck with the sophomore. The score remained intact after an inning-ending strikeout.

The top of the ninth inning started off with Payne making his way to the batter’s box. That’s a solid way to lead off an inning. He was quickly down in the count 0-2 but after two foul balls and three pitches out of the zone, he was looking to crush a 3-2 count and he did just that. Payne tattooed the ball into right field and hustled his way into second base for a double. He got to remain on the base paths, having taken over first base when Martin took the mound, and this was a perfect scenario when “Lukey” stepped up to the plate. Martin took the first pitch for a ball, watched the second pitch go by for a strike, then casually eyed the third pitch for a ball before setting his sights on the next pitch. He lifted that front leg as the pitch came in and got his whole body in on the action. The hips don’t lie. He turned on that pitch and just crushed it as the dugout started to go crazy. Martin was off and running quickly out of the batter’s box, as the ball looked to go deep but was it going to get out of the ballpark? Sure enough, it did! The umpire signaled home run as the ball ricocheted off the scoreboard in left field and Martin rounded the bases, stomping directly on home plate as his teammates waited to congratulate him. The two-run blast put Mount Pulaski up 3-1. The Senators retired the next three Hilltoppers but as Martin took the mound for the bottom of the ninth inning, his adrenaline was pumping and his feet were barely touching the ground.

The bottom of the ninth started in what could be classified as typical Luke Martin fashion: Ball one and then hit batter. It happens. But that’s all water under the bridge after two strikeouts and a fielder’s choice ended the game.

The final score in extras was 3-1 and Mount Pulaski is now 18-1 on the season.

Mount Pulaski marches to the big city (where parking is still a big problem) and knocks off a very good Senators team, led by the 2021 Class 3A state champion coach, Jim Steinwart. Steinwart is in his 37th year at the helm for the Senators and to date his career record is 722 wins and 576 losses. He is a legend.

The Hilltoppers coach, Joel Washko, is moving towards legendary status himself. He is currently in his 10th season at Mount Pulaski High School. He now has a career record of 160 wins and 98 losses.

When the Senators were bringing home a Class 3A state championship in 2021, the Hilltoppers were bringing home a fourth place finish in Class 1A that year. It’s not everyday a Class 1A school gets to play a Class 3A school so this was a fun experience.

It’s kind of hard to say who had more fun, Payne or Martin. Both were exceptional and instrumental in the win.

Payne was 2-for-4 with a run scored. His two hits were doubles.

Martin was 1-for-4 with a run scored and two RBIs on that home run off the scoreboard. That was Martin’s fourth home run of the season.

Eric Cooper had a double and an RBI to get Mount Pulaski pumped up early on.

All extra base hits today for the Hilltoppers.

Chance Payne pitched another masterpiece for Mount Pulaski. He worked six and one-third innings, allowing two hits and one unearned run. He walked three and struck out eleven batters.

Luke Martin (3-0) earned the win in relief. He worked two and two-thirds innings, allowing three walks and striking out four batters. He did not give up a hit or a run but he did hit that one guy.

The Senators edged out the Hilltoppers in strikeouts, 16 to 15.

The middle reliever, Enrico Veach, took the loss. He worked two and two-thirds innings, allowing two hits and two earned runs. He struck out five Hilltoppers.

The starter, Sam Hartl, worked five and one-third innings. He allowed two hits and one unearned run. He walked one and struck out eight.

Brody Scheffler pitched to three batters in the ninth inning, after the damage was already done by Payne and Martin. Scheffler recorded three strikeouts.

Excellent win, Hilltoppers!

Weather permitting, there will be baseball today at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Bloomington at 4:30 p.m.

But then again, that weather forecast does not look good.

[Teena Lowery]