BOWLING GREEN — Raw emotions could be seen on the faces of Clear Fork baseball players and coaches Thursday night.
The agony of defeat struck the Colts (25-5) after falling to Parma Padua 4-3 in eight innings in a Division II regional semifinal at Bowling Green’s Carter Park.
With one out in the bottom of the eighth, a pitch in the dirt bounced behind home plate — allowing Padua’s Bryden Spellacy to dash from third base and record the game-ending run.
Clear Fork coach Gabe Kennedy said his message to the Colts addressed the pain of losing.
“This hurts,” he said. “It should hurt, especially when it’s a fresh wound.”
Clear Fork, who entered Thursday’s semifinal on an 11-game win streak, ended its season with 25 wins and a Division II district championship.
The Colts reached Thursday’s regional semifinal after defeating St. Marys Memorial in the Bluffton regional championship game 11-1.
Kennedy said the seniors helped shape Clear Fork baseball.
“They have created a culture,” he said. “My first year last year, they were juniors and they bought in right away.”
Colts suffer extra-inning heartbreak
Clear Fork took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth. A bunt from Kasey Swank drove in a run and a single from Garett Hotz knocked in the Colts’ second score.
Both teams recorded runs in the fifth. Clear Fork’s Chandler Ball singled to center field to bring home Nate Lind and increase his team’s lead to two runs.
In the home half of the fifth, Padua’s Lucas Palange drove in a run via a sacrifice fly to right field. Yuri Bellina singled to left field, sending in Makhi Williams for the tying-run.
The contest remained locked at 3-3 heading into extra innings. Both teams were blanked in the seventh.
Kennedy says Colts are ‘tough as nails’
Padua’s Trey Martin singled to begin the home half of the eighth and was relieved of base-running duties by Spellacy.
A sacrifice bunt by Jacob Duliba sent Spellacy to second with one out. Facing a ball and two strikes, Matt Lowe singled to right — putting runners on first and third. Lowe stole second on the first pitch of the next at-bat.
Zach Zemla, facing two balls and two strikes, stepped away from a wild pitch with one out in the bottom of the eighth. Speeding from third to home, Spellacy scored the winning-run and sent the Bruins’ dugout flying onto the field.
Despite the outcome, Kennedy said the game’s energy was “awesome.”
“We were fighting back and fourth,” he said. “Again, that’s a great baseball team (Padua). Obviously they’re going to the Elite Eight, but our kids are tough. They’re tough as nails.”
“This hurts, but we didn’t play clean baseball. That’s no excuse at all to Padua, they’re a really good baseball team, but you’ve got to play clean baseball and good defense if you want to win, especially at this level.”
Highlight reel
Padua seeks to punch state ticket against Napoleon
The Colts finished Thursday’s game with seven hits. Mason Sansom and Lind led Clear Fork with two hits each. Luke Schlosser, Jay Jackson and Ball all recorded a hit. Hotz and Ball both drove in a run.
Schlosser pitched six innings for Clear Fork — giving up eight hits and three runs. He struck out four and walked four. Hotz worked the final 1.1 inning. He struck out two, while giving up two hits and a run.
Padua managed 10 hits. The trio of Bellina, Lowe and Martin accounted for six hits. Manny Lebron, Williams, Zemla and Palange each recorded a hit.
Palange, Bellina and Zemla each drove home a run.
Nathan Krayzel pitched 5.2 innings for the Bruins — surrendering seven hits and three runs. He struck out six and walked one. Williams worked the final 2.1 innings — striking out two and keeping the Colts scoreless.
Padua (18-8-1) will meet Napoleon in a Division II regional championship game at 5 p.m. Friday back at Carter Park.
Napoleon defeated Huron 9-0 in Thursday’s early game.
(Below are photos from Padua’s 4-3 victory over Clear Fork on Thursday evening at Carter Park.)
