Brock Kintner
When overnight rains rendered Columbus North’s baseball field unplayable, Columbus East stepped in and allowed the Bull Dogs to play Saturday’s Conference Indiana game against Terre Haute North on the Olympians’ turf infield/grass outfield.
The Bull Dogs and Patriots were so happy, they decided to play three extra innings. Columbus North pushed across a run in the bottom of the 10th to claim a 2-1 victory and climb back into the conference title race.
“We were going to have to scratch runs across the plate, and the guys were all in on that,” Bull Dogs coach Mike Bodart said. “So it was nice to be able to do something there at the end. We had some opportunities early on in the game, and we just didn’t quite take advantage of them, but Terre Haute North is a really good team, and they’re having a heck of a year. It was nice to get a win from them over here on the turf field at Columbus East.”
The Bull Dogs (6-8, 1-1) managed only two hits in nine innings against Patriots starter Kendall Gregg. But after Lincoln Gregg came on in the 10th, he walked Sam Perry and Lane Schrader on a combined nine pitches to begin the inning.
Lincoln Gregg got Jesse Clark to pop out to second for the first out. Then Brock Kintner faked like he was going to lay down a bunt and pulled back. With courtesy runner Ashton Schwartz headed to third, the throw went into left field, allowing Schwartz to come home with the winning run.
“Coach called me over and said, ‘All right, we’re going to do a fake bunt-steal,’ because the third baseman was coming in,” Kintner said. “So I wasn’t even planning to bunt. I was just faking it so the third baseman would come in, and then (Schwartz) would steal third. But it turned out, they overthrew it, and that was game over.”
Kintner, who had one of Columbus North’s two hits, pitched three strong innings to pick up the win in relief. He allowed only one hit and struck out three.
“I had an idea that I was going to pitch,” Kintner said. “I was ready to pitch, so when they called my name, I was excited to go in. I love pitching.”
The Bull Dogs also got solid outings out of their first two pitchers. Jayce Emmitt allowed only one run and three hits in six innings, and Javier Uscanga gave up one hit in a scoreless seventh.
“Jayce needed an outing like that, and he got it,” Bodart said. “He was real consistent, a lot of first-pitch strikes. He still has some work to do to clean some things up, as we all do. Javier came in with the one inning and Brock with the extended relief, it was a good effort on the mound.”
Columbus North scored its first run in the second inning when Dillon Long singled with one out, and Ike Genth and Emmitt were hit by pitches to load the bases. Schrader drew a two-out bases-loaded walk to force in a run.
Terre Haute North (9-5, 2-2) answered with a run in the top of the third before the pitchers threw gooseggs until the 10th.
“The guys worked their butt off and stayed in the game the whole day,” Bodart said. “It’s a tough game with prom tonight and stuff like that, but they stayed focused.”
The win puts the Bull Dogs, who had fallen 10-0 April 10 at Bloomington North, in control of their own destiny for the Conference Indiana title and helps restore a little confidence following Friday’s 13-2 non-conference loss to Cathedral.
“It feels very good after going to Bloomington North and laying an egg,” Kintner said. “To come back here and beat the team that beat Bloomington North and getting our confidence back up after the game (Friday) feels very good. This is a very good win.”
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