By Ben Grossberg
PBR Indiana

The Evansville Regional provided all the excitement one could ask for, with all three games being one run nail biters. Castle would take home the title in a 2-1 win over Whiteland on Saturday night.

Whiteland 5 Jeffersonville 4

The opening game of the Regional had Jeffersonville taking on surprise participant Whiteland, who quickly showed they belonged there as much as anyone.

Jeffersonville jumped out in front first, putting up three runs in the second inning. The first run came in thanks to a Hayden Robb doubled down the left field line. Joe Burke stepped up next and took a ball deep over the left field fence for a two run homerun, giving Jeff a 3-0 lead after two innings.

Whiteland got back in the game with two runs in the bottom of the second, with two outs Jared Adkins singled and Austin Fields reached first on a dropped third strike. Both runners moved in to scoring position to set the table for Wyatt Chitwood. Chitwood cut the deficit two one ripping a single through the left side of the infield.

Adkins had settled in on the mound for Whiteland after giving up three runs in the second. He allowed just two hits over the next three innings, and worked his way out of a few jams. In the third he gave up a leadoff double, but stranded the runner. In the next two innings Jeff had two runners on each frame, but could not get a clutch hit versus Adkins.

In the fifth Whiteland took the lead for the first time. Adkins doubled to lead off the inning and Fields singled to put runners on the corners. Chitwood chopped a ball to Jeff short stop Drew Ellis who only had a play at first allowing Adkins to score the tying run. On the throw to first Fields tried to go first to third and was out at third base. With the bases cleared now, Whiteland’s rally looked over, but an Austin Browning single and a hit by pitch for Branton Sanders put two runners on. This time it was Dillon Dickens who delivered a clutch hit singling in a run to put Whiteland up 4-3 after five.

Jeffersonville answered back though in the top of the sixth. Josh Burke, who pitched 4.2 strong innings for Jeff, got hit to lead off the inning and after an out Joe Burke singled to put two runners on base. After Adkins struck out the next batter Ellis stepped to the plate a delivered with a clutch single up the middle to bring in a run and tie the game at four.

The game headed to the bottom of the seventh still knotted at four when Whiteland got the first heroic moment of the day. After the first two batters of the inning went down quickly, Austin Browning stepped to the plate looking to extend the inning. Browning did a little more than that turning on a fastball and crushing it over the left field fence for a walk off solo homerun, putting Whiteland in the Regional Championship Game.

Castle 3 Columbus North 2

Game two in Evansville had Castle and Columbus North battle in another thrilling ending. Castle got the win thanks to coming through with clutch hits and stopping Columbus North from doing the same.

Columbus North jumped on the board in the top of the first. Devin Mann singled to start the game and moved to second on an out. Evan Finke then brought him in with a single of his own giving North a 1-0 lead.

In the second Castle was able to tie the game thanks to some control issues from North starter Cody Burton. Burton hit the first two batters of the innings and after an out and a single the bases were loaded. Burton struck out the next batter and looked like he was going to get out of the inning, but Larkin Heldt worked a bases loaded walk to tie the game at one after two innings.

Castle starter Addison Smith worked out of a few jams during his 6.2 innings, he was able to escape most of the thanks to his nine strikeouts. He scattered nine hit during his time on the mound allowing just two earned runs.

In the fifth Castle capitalized on a Columbus North error. Heldt hit a ball hard at the third baseman to lead off the inning, the ball caromed off the fielder and went far enough away that Heldt was able to get all the way to second base. Castle looked like they might squander the opportunity with the next two batters getting out, but Korbin Williams delivered a two out single through the left side of the infield, giving Castle their first lead of the day.

North would tie the game back up in the top of the sixth. After Evan Finke singled to start the frame, Brice McDaniel had his third hit of the game a triple bringing Finke in to score. Smith would strand McDaniel at third though, striking out the next batter and getting the following batter to hit into an out to keep the game tied at two.

In the top of the seventh North put their first two runners on base, but Smith got the next to out before allowing a walk to load the bases. The walk ended the day for Smith with Jonathan Blackwell coming in to relieve him. Blackwell needed just one pitch to get a fly out to center to end the threat.

North had another chance in the eighth, when McDaniel doubled to start the inning, but again tough pitching from Castle stranded him in scoring position.

In the bottom of the ninth Ben Bunch reached on a one out error to get the Castle offense started. After a foul bunt with two strikes gave Castle two outs, Heldt singled and Jeff Wetzler walked to load the bases. Ryan Parker stepped in with the chance to be the hero and put Castle in the Championship Game. Parker bounced a ball off the plate that went down the third bases line, for a perfect infield single easily beating the throwing to first to win the game and set up a matchup with Whiteland for the Regional title.

Castle 2 Whiteland 1

The first two games of the day saw an offensive play as the big moment of the game, defense would end this game.

The game saw a good pitchers duel between Whiteland’s Codey Stewart and Castle’s Trevor Mullikin. Mullikin was working toward his second win of the day, after throwing an inning of relief in Castle’s win over Columbus North.

Mullikin was almost unhittable through his first five innings of work. He allowed a one out single in the first and after a fielder’s choice he picked off the runner at first to end the inning. After the single he retired 12 straight batters, with a two out walk in the fifth breaking the streak.

Castle had opportunities to jump on the board in the first and second innings, but could not cash in. In the first they loaded the bases with one out, but Stewart was able to get a striking out for the second out and got the next batter to hit into an out to end the threat. In the second Ben Bunch singled and stole second, but could not come in to score with the next three batters going down in order.

Castle broke through in the third and fourth innings. Korbin Williams doubled for the second time in the game with one out and after another out Matt Bertram came through with a clutch single up the middle to score Williams. In the fourth Bunch doubled to start the inning and scored on a Larkin Heldt double to give Castle a 2-0 lead after four innings.

In the sixth Whiteland was finally able to get to Mullikin. Jackson Tinkle doubled to start the inning and Caleb Deiter blooped a singled down the right field line to bring Tinkle in to score. That ended the day for Mullikin. Jonathan Blackwell came on in relief and just like the first win shutdown any potential rally setting down the next three batters to keep the Castle lead at 2-1.

In the seventh Blackwell struck out the first batter then gave up back to back walks. Bertram came on in relief of Blackwell. Bertram struck out the first batter he faced, but a single from Tinkle loaded the bases for Deiter. Deiter looked like he was going to be the hero for Whiteland hitting a very similar ball to his first hit down the right field line. With two outs, two runners would have scored giving Whiteland the lead, but Jackson Stierwalt had other ideas. Stierwalt made a diving catch in right to end the game giving Castle a 2-1 win and the Evansville Regional Title.