By Ben Grossberg
PBR Indiana 

JASPER – Both Terre Haute North and Evansville Mater Dei came from behind Saturday to win and advance to the State Championship Game at Victory Field in Indianapolis. Both starting pitchers struggled early on, but settled down throwing a complete game.

2A: Mater Dei 3, Cardinal Ritter 2 

Evansville Mater Dei did not let a two run hole in the second inning hold them back in the come from behind win to advance to the State Finals. Mater Dei starter Chase Partain threw a complete game in the win, dominanting the last five innings of the game.

Ritter grabbed early control of the game scoring two runs in the top of the second inning. Partain gave up back to back walks to start the inning, but set the next two batters down. Anthony Ryback came up looking to provide Ritter with a clutch two out hit. He did not disappoint poking a single through the right side of the infield to bring in the first run. With runners on the corners, Ryback stole second and the throw went into centerfield allowing another run to score.

That was all the scoring that Partain would allow though. After giving up two hits and two walks in the first two innings, he allowed just one hit and one walk over his next five innings of work. He set down the final seven batters of the game and finished the afternoon with five strikeouts.

With Partain keeping the game close the Mater Dei offense just needed to break through against Ritter starter Jake Purichia. Purichia dominated the first four innings of the game, retiring the first ten batters he faced.

In the fifth Mater Dei’s offense finally got to Purichia with the bottom of the lineup getting the offense started. Blake Wilderman and Andy DeWeese lead off the bottom of the fifth with back to back singles and a sac bunt moved them each up a base. Jake Zigenfus was next up to the plate and a infield single on a hard ground ball in the hole brought in Mater Dei’s first run. Will LaRue followed that up with a line drive single to tie the game at two. Jake Fleming loaded the bases with a single and Ben Sellers gave Mater Dei the lead with a RBI groundout.

With a 3-2 lead Mater Dei continued to rely on Partain. He shutdown the top of the Ritter lineup holding the top five hitters to 1-12 with two walks in the game. In the seventh Partain cruised through the bottom third of the order setting them down in order giving Evansville Mater Dei the 2A South Semi State Championship.

4A: Terre Haute North 8, Castle 4

The second game of the Jasper Semi-State again saw the victor come back from an early deficit. Austin Hicks struggled for the first two innings of the game, but settled in after that to pick up the complete game win.

Castle offense was sharp early on putting up four runs in the first two innings. Jeff Wetzler led the game off with a single and Castle would load the bases with one out after a sac bunt, hit by pitch, and a walk. Matt Bertram  brought in the first to runs of the game with a line drive single to left field. Will Randle followed that up with a RBI single to giving Castle a 3-0 lead.

In the second Castle loaded the bases again, this time with two outs. A passed ball allowed Jackson Stierwalt to score from third to push the lead to 4-0. Terre Haute North would get a big momentum swing thanks to a great play by their left fielder. Castle’s Wyatt Daly lined a ball into left that would have brought in two more runs, but North’s left fielder Nick Long made a diving catch to end the game and keep the deficit at four.

North’s offense finally got going in the top of the third inning, scoring three runs with two outs. After Castle starter Addison Smith set down the first two batters Zach Milam singled and TJ Collett walked. Nathan Will stepped up next with a chance to put North on the board and he didn’t disappoint. Will lined a ball to left the quickly exited the yard for a three run homerun, cutting the Castle lead to 4-3.

In the fifth North took the lead for good scoring five runs in the frame. They loaded the bases to start the inning without getting a hit. Cody Maloon came up and roped a single that brought two runs in to scoring giving North a 5-4 lead. A Brett Herndon sac fly added another run to the lead. With two outs and the bases loaded again Jonathan Eilbracht lined a ball that stayed just inside the first base line for a two run doubled giving North a 8-4 lead.

A four run lead was more than enough for Hicks. He allowed four hits in the first two innings and allowed just four hits in his last five innings of work.

Castle threatened in the sixth with Ben Bunch and Jackson Stierwalt leading off the inning with back to back singles. After a fielder’s choice got Bunch at third, Hick got a pop out for the second out and struck out the next batter to end the inning.

Hicks allowed a single to start the bottom of the seventh, but then induced a groundball double play to put North one out away from a State Finals berth. After a walk, Hicks got the next batter to hit into a out to end the game and send North to the State Finals in Indianapolis.