Throughout the year, if the Ellet Orangemen needed a player to step up and produce in a big spot, that player was often Griffin Malick.
The junior right-hander, fired a complete- ame three-hitter to set the tone and lift Ellet to a 4-1 victory and its third consecutive City Series championship Tuesday night at Canal Park.
Malick, who entered the gamehaving pitched 18 consecutive scoreless innings, also completed a five-inning victory over the Falcons earlier this season. Firestone’s only two City Series losses came at the hands of Malick (8-2).
“It is a testament to him,” Ellet coach John Sarver said. “He has pitched well with runners on base and pitched even better in tough situations. He is a real gutsy kid.”
Malick, recently tabbed a first-team All-City Series selection, showed up at the plate as well, perfectly executing a squeeze bunt in the second inning that scored Cameron Brake from third. With the dugout euphoric, catcher Matthew Edwards tripled down the right-field line before Matt Cody singled up the middle to make it to 2-0.
With the squeeze play working brilliantly, the Orangemen employed the same strategy the next inning. With Joe Williams on third and Garrett Haverstick standing on second, senior designated hitter Ryan Jarvis put another bunt in play that scored Williams and increased the lead to 3-0.
“Just genius thoughts on both of those,” Sarver said before deflecting the credit. “That is all coach Scott Swan. He deserves a huge amount of credit for this team for his character. It just comes out in these kids, as well as his gutsiness and toughness. In a game like this, its a huge momentum shift.”
With a three-run cushion, Malick settled down, regained control and quickly cruised through the final four innings, allowing just one hit the rest of the way. The only run Malick gave up was unearned after Matt Owen reached on an error and stole second and third before Matt Dies drove him in on a groundout to second base.
Firestone starter Dustin James entered the game with a propensity to get numerous strikeouts. The senior right-hander, also tabbed first-team All-City Series, only struck out one as Ellet (20-6) consistently put the ball in play and forced the Falcons (16-9) to execute in the field.
James exited after the fifth inning, allowing all 10 hits and walking two.
“When he beat us earlier in the year, he struck out eight or nine and I thought that was the best game pitched against us all year,” Sarver said. “He manipulated us and just kept us off balance then, but tonight, we were more disciplined and forced him to throw us our pitch.”
Although the top of the order is always looked upon to spark the offense, the bottom half did the damage for the Orangemen.
Three of the runs were driven in by the bottom of the order, Jarvis, Malick and Cody.
The common factor between the three? Experience.
“This one is special to me because of these upperclassmen,” Sarver said. “They did so well all year. They tied for the league title in football and won the basketball title.”
That experience isn’t just integral at the plate, but is exemplified in the field as well.
“Being strong and experienced up the middle allows us success,” Sarver said. “Our infielders [Jacob Kline and Tyler Westren] have been around for three years and our catcher [Edwards] is a four-year letterwinner. They’ve made plays all year that have been huge and really helped us. To be able to do this for those guys is real cool.”
Ellet has now won seven of the past nine City Series titles. This three-peat is the first for the Orangemen since 2002.
The last three-peat by any other school belongs to East. The Dragons won three in a row after the inception of the City Series back in 1973.