Bay rockets into regional with 3-run HR

One swing of the bat decided the Division II North Ridgeville District final May 24 with GLC rivals Elyria Catholic and Bay facing off for a trip to the Bowling Green Regional on June 1.

Following a Carter Ormsby single in the top of the third inning, Elyria Catholic intentionally walked Bay star center fielder Evan Bottone to get to Ryan Nolan, with Panthers ace Levi Ellis taking the ball against Bay’s Danny Surdy.

With Nolan down 0-2 in the count, Ellis delivered his next pitch and the Bay shortstop blasted the offering over the right-center field fence for a threerun home run to help Bay best Elyria Catholic, 3-0. It’s Bay’s first regional appearance since 2009.

“As our coach says (when it’s) 0-2, put the ball on the ground,” Nolan said. “I was thinking that, it just didn’t happen. It happened to go over the fence, felt great.”

Nolan wasn’t thinking he’d hit it out, but the ball continued to carry and sent the Rockets into a celebration.

“I didn’t know I had that power in me, it just happened.”

Surdy, who pitched a three-hit shutout, struck out six batters and walked two. He gave the Panthers a different look than they’d seen before and kept batters guessing.

“Usually I rely on my fastball to get ahead,” Surdy said. “I was mixing in some sliders, changeups to get up 0-1, 0-2 on them and that was working for me. I stuck with it the whole game.”

In the home half of the third, Elyria Catholic loaded the bases with one out and the heart of the order coming up. Surdy got Taylor Belza out swinging and Dominic Calanni to hit a grounder to third for the force play.

“I walked a couple of guys there, I think I was trying to paint the corners too much,” Surdy said. “I just locked in, trusted my guys and threw strikes, and they made plays.”

It was a crucial moment that kept all the momentum going for Bay and took the wind out of the Panthers’ sails.

“Their pitcher kept us off balance,” Levi Ellis said. “They did a good job of that and sometimes that’s how the game of baseball is.”

This will be Bay coach Ben Boka’s first trip to the regional round, and he’ll guide the senior-laden group for the Rockets making their first trip since 2009.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Boka said. “These boys have worked hard to get to this point and they’ve worked hard all season. I’m so happy for them to have the success that they’ve had of late and able to have this experience.”

As for Elyria Catholic, they end another season in the district final, undone by the home run ball despite Ellis’ stellar performance over seven innings, with only the one mistake pitch and a few chances with runners in scoring position unable to get punched in.

“We always preach to take advantage of opportunities,” Panthers coach Bruce Lisicky said. “We had one with the bases loaded with one out and maybe one other time. That Surdy pitched a great game against us and you can’t win if you put runs on the board.”

For Ellis, he’s done a lot between football and baseball the last four years at Elyria Catholic, and he feels good with how he’s leaving the baseball program in particular from when he started out.

“I like to think I left the place better than I found it,” Ellis said. “It sucks to go out this way.”

Bay will play the winner of the Archbold District next week, with the winner to be determined on May 27.