COLUMBUS: Tallmadge turned the tables on its reputation for manufacturing runs Thursday night against Maumee in a Division II state semifinal.
The spacious outfield at Huntington Park quickly can become a gap-hitter’s paradise, as the Blue Devils proved during a three-run fourth inning in which they produced four extra-base hits.
With a 4-1 victory over the Panthers, Tallmadge (24-7) advanced to play Dayton Chaminade Julienne (22-4) at 1 p.m. Saturday for the state championship.
“We came into the state tournament known for small ball, but throughout the regular season we had so many extra-base hits,” designated hitter Josh Taylor said. “On a big field like this, it’s like heaven for us.”
With two outs and his team trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth, first baseman Scott Seeker doubled to left center off pitcher Justin Studenka.
Taylor followed with an RBI triple, center fielder Jared Burick had an RBI double and second baseman Jake Rensel added another RBI double to make it 3-1.
In the Tallmadge seventh, left fielder Sam Seeker hit a shot that went off the center fielder’s glove that he turned it into an inside-the-park home run for his team’s final run.
“We always want to play aggressively, and as soon as it went off his glove, there was no way I’m not bringing him home,” coach Kenny Linn said. “We have speed and we utilized it.”
Maumee (22-10) made it 1-0 in the first inning when Blake Adams walked, Matt Burkett was hit by a pitch and Tyler Archambeau singled to left to drive in Adams.
The Panthers got a two-out triple by Zach Marvin in the second but pitcher Zach Boyd struck out Jordan Key for the final out.
In the third, a leadoff walk to Blake Adams was erased when Adams was caught stealing by catcher Rich Eyre.
Then in the fifth, Maumee’s Caleb Brown opened with a single but was picked off first by Eyre. John Henry doubled to left with two out in the inning and advanced to third on a wild pitch but Boyd got Matt LeCron to ground out for the final out.
Boyd allowed just five hits overall, striking out five and walking three.
“I felt like I didn’t have my best stuff, but I think my best pitch was my fastball,” Boyd said. “Toward the end I started having a better feel for the curveball. When I see us score runs, it gives me a little sigh of relief.”
Burick, who went 3-for-3 at the plate, is expected to pitch the state championship game.
It’s a moment Linn said he believes his team will be ready for as it competes in its fifth state final.
The only state title the program has won was in 2002.
“It means a lot,” Linn said. “It’s been a long time coming. There’s been a lot of hard work. We saw the potential that we could do this two years ago and believed we could get this far.”