ONTARIO, Ohio — Nik Wallenda almost certainly would have marveled at Ontario ace Paul Homan’s first-inning high-wire act during Thursday’s Division II sectional championship game.
A hard-throwing right-hander, Homan did his very best impression of Wallenda, who famously tight rope walked 1,500 feet across the Little Colorado River gorge in 2013, in Ontario’s 7-2 win over Galion. Homan surrendered two first-inning runs but, considering the circumstances, the damage could have been much worse.
Galion loaded the bases with nobody out when leadoff man Josh Eckert reached on an infield single, Ryan Talbott was hit by a pitch and Chad Karnes singled sharply to left. Clean-up hitter Tyler Castline drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, but Homan extricated himself from the jam with a strikeout and an unorthodox run-scoring fielder’s choice. Bryce Lybarger smacked a ground ball toward Ontario third baseman Trevor Cochran. The ball hit the lip of the grass and bounded high into the air, ticking off Cochrans glove and allowing Talbott to score. Ontario shortstop Tyler Weber alertly backed up the play and flipped the ball to Cochran to retire Castline at third.
“I wasn’t really locating like I wanted to today,” Homan said of the rocky first inning.
Settling Down: After the first, Homan was in complete control. He retired 18 of the next 20 men he faced as Galion (9-15) managed only three hits in the final six innings.
“The first inning was not his best,” Ontario coach Dan Gorbett said, “but every inning he got better and better.”
Galion coach Phil Jackson agreed.
“He is one of the best we have seen all year,” Jackson said. “He can throw any pitch for a strike. When you can do that, you can get out of sticky situations.”
Opportunities Lost: Ontario (21-4) scored a run off Karnes in the first when leadoff man Alex Vredenburgh drew a walk and eventually scored on a past ball. The Warriors left men at second and third in the first and second and stranded men at first in second in the third.
“We had guys on second and third twice and didn’t get them in,” Gorbett said. “I was a little bit concerned. Galion is a good team. We spotted them a lead there and I was worried.”
Big Inning: The Warriors finally got to Galion started Karnes in the home half of the fourth. Cochran and Mitchell Zahn, Ontario’s Nos. 8 and 9 hitters, drew back-to-back walks to start the inning before Weber reached on a one-out error to load the bases. Homan drew a walk to tie the game at 2-2 before Mason Goodwin cleared the bases with a three-run double to left center.
“I was just seeing the ball well today,” said Goodwin, who was 3-for-4 with two doubles, three RBIs and a run scored. “He threw me a high change-up and I swung and I fouled it off behind me, then he threw me another one.”
Ontario added two more runs in the sixth. Ridge Jackson’s sacrifice fly plated Tyler Weber, who reached on a bad-hop single to start the inning, and Aaron Baker’s single scored Goodwin.
Rubber Match: Ontario will play Shelby for a third time at 2 p.m. May 21 in the Division II district semifinals at Madison. Shelby beat Norwalk 7-2 to claim a sectional crown.
The Warriors and Whippets split two regular season games.
“That should be a great ball game,” Gorbett said.
“We had guys on second and third twice and didn’t get them in,” Ontario Coach Dan Gorbett said. “I was a little bit concerned. Galion is a good team. We spotted them a lead there and I was worried.”
