By Mike McGraw
Executive Director
LAFAYETTE — Itââ?¬â?¢s been a banner year for Hauser athletics. Last winter, the boys basketball Jets battled their way to the semistate at Seymour before falling to Loogootee in a game they led most of the way. This spring, they fought all the way to the Class A baseball title game at Loeb Stadium.
Unfortunately, Hauser�s special year is not going to include any kind of championship as the Jets dropped the June 17 clash against No. 15 Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, 7-0. (Ironically, the Braves also advanced to the boys basketball semistate, where they lost to Lapel. But I digress.)
You can win baseball games a lot of ways, but 13th-ranked Hauser in this instance fell victim to lost opportunities and an outstanding defensive performance by the Fort Wayne Blackhawk Braves.
Braves pitcher Logan Nussbaum was by no means overpowering in scattering four hits and striking out six, and he pitched from behind a lot, but he made big pitches when he had to. Hauser put eight baserunners on in the first five innings yet scored none of them, stranding five:
�· The Jets had two on in the first inning (Aryn Ross walked and Nick Long was hit by a pitch), and they got stranded on an inning-ending strikeout by Jake Miller.
�· They had one on in the second (Donavan Schroughham hit by another pitch) but wound up with nothing because of a double play when Gabe Miller lined to Nussbaum, who then doubled Schroughham at first.
�· They had two on in the third (Jordan Perkins singled to center, Ross doubled to left), but they got stranded when Long flied out to center.
Ã?· They had two on in the fourth with only one out — including Jake Miller on third following a single, a sacrifice bunt, and a passed ball — but that inning ended on another lineout double play. Blackhawk shortstop Jon Ringenberg snagged Gabe Millerââ?¬â?¢s shot, then flipped to third baseman Andrew Nelson for the tag on Jake Miller before he could get back to third.
�· They had one more on in the fifth (Kyle Lawson earned a two-out walk), but he got caught stealing at second on catcher Jake Harmonâ��s in-time throw to Ringenberg.
Fort Wayne, meanwhile, did not squander its chances, scoring twice in the third and five more times in the sixth.
The Braves plated the first two runs by virtue of a walk by Jordan Friesen, a double to right-center by Brandon Young, an error on Ringenberg�s RBI grounder by Hauser shortstop Jared Turner, and Nussbaum�s sacrifice fly.
In the sixth � well, let�s just do a copy-and-paste from IHSAA�s quality stat-keeping service:
�· Harmon, Jake grounded out to 3b.
�· Johanningsmeier, Alex singled to right field.
�· Nelson, Andre walked; Johanningsmeier advanced to second.
�· Holb, Preston singled to left field; Nelson advanced to second; Johanningsmeier advanced to third.
�· Doust, Joseph reached on an error by ss, RBI; Holb advanced to second; Nelson advanced to third; Johanningsmeier scored.
�· Rinehart, Mark pinch ran for Doust.
�· Friesen, Jordan walked, RBI; Rinehart advanced to second; Holb advanced to third; Nelson scored, unearned.
�· Lawson, Kyle to p.; Ross, Aryn to 2b.
Ã?· Young, Brandon reached on a fielder’s choice; Friesen advanced to second; Rinehart advanced to third; Holb out at home rf to c.
�· Ringenberg singled to center field, 2 RBI; Young advanced to second; Friesen scored, unearned; Rinehart scored, unearned.
�· Nussbaum, Logan singled to center field, RBI; Ringenberg advanced to third; Young scored, unearned.
�· Harmon flied out to 2b.
�· 5 runs, 4 hits, 1 error, 2 LOB.
And yes, I�m sure Harmon didn�t mind too much making both the first and the last outs of a championship game inning.
Ross, who battled brilliantly most of the game before tiring finally in the ill-fated sixth, allowed six hits and sever runs, but only two of the runs were earned. The loss dropped him to 8-2 ââ?¬â?? the same record as winning pitcher Nussbaum.
And continuing along the lines of six degrees of separation, both teams finished the season at 21-9. But Fort Wayne Blackhawk goes home with its second state title (the Braves were 2002 Class A champs), while Hauser saw its 12-game winning streak snapped one game shy of a title.
Second-year coach Mark Harmon�s Braves really benefited from the top three hitters in its lineup as Young went 2 for 4 with two runs scored, Ringenberg was 2 for 4 with a Class A finals-record three runs batted in, and Nussbaum knocked in a pair of runs.
Hauser�s Miller wins L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award
Jacob Miller of Hauser was named this yearââ?¬â?¢s Class A winner of the L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award. The son of Tom and Sandy Miller of Hope, Miller earned nine varsity letters during his high school career ââ?¬â?? three in basketball and two each in baseball, tennis, and track.
Miller, who ranked sixth in his class of 66 students, plans to pursue studies in computer technology at IUPUI-Columbus. A member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Club, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, he�s also served as a coach and a referee in the Future Jets elementary basketball program.
Processing your request, Please wait....
