Badin hits high gear in playoffs
The regular OAKWOOD — season was a rocky road for Badin’s baseball team. But it’s fading in the rearview mirror.
The Rams, Division II state runners-up in 2016, have won their first two sectional games by a combined 37-1 and rolled past host Oakwood 8-1 on Thursday at Chuck Ely Field.
“I think it’s taken us 28 games to kind of sort things out,” said Badin coach Brion Treadway, whose squad improved to 15-13. “We haven’t run the same lineup out there very often this year, so guys have played varsity-level baseball all year and I believe at a high level with our schedule. So the guys are ready. They’ve just got to take care of their business.”
Junior Seth Klaiber brought the heat against the fourthseeded Lumberjacks (20-6), firing a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts.
Tenth-seeded Badin advanced to a sectional final against Greater Catholic League Coed Division rival Chaminade Julienne on Thursday at Miamisburg. CJ, the No. 2 seed, beat the Rams 5-3 and 6-3 during the league season.
“Everybody always says around town that this is when our actual season starts,” Klaiber said. “Our regular season, we just figure stuff out. When the postseason comes along, we’re ready to get there.”
Badin put Oakwood in a 2-0 hole in the first inning when Zac Wilson’s two-out, two-run single into short left field eluded the hosts’ gloves.
The Rams tacked on six runs in the last two innings and got a two-run homer from Kaden Kimbrell.
“We knew they were good coming in and we knew we’d get their best shot, so I’m very proud of the guys for coming into somebody else’s house and taking care of business,” Treadway said. “I can’t remember the last time we played away at somebody else’s home field in the tournament.
“Our defense was clean today, we handled some adversity, and Seth did a tremendous job on the mound. He was really just attacking the zone and keeping them on the defensive.”
Wilson was 3 for 4, Kimbrell had two hits and Daunte DeCello plated two runs for Badin. Drew Holderbach and Tyler Hargrove added RBIs.
The Rams got hit by a pitch seven times between Oakwood pitchers Kaes Drumheller and Alec Barhorst.
“That’s a lot of hit batters in a game,” Lumberjacks coach Chuck Freeman said. “When we hit like the fifth guy, I’m like, ‘Man, what is going on here? Are they standing on top of the plate?’ I don’t know what it was.
“Obviously you’re stepping up when you’re playing a GCL team as far as talent level and hard-nosed kids. I don’t think we were intimidated. I just think sometimes it might be better to play a first-round game as opposed to getting a bye and then playing like we did today.”