Shelbyville captures first baseball sectional title since 2005

INDIANAPOLIS – The formula is simple to win a baseball game – good pitching, great defense and timely hitting.

Class 3A, No. 9 Shelbyville used a fast start, stellar relief work on the mound and its third straight error-free game Monday to secure the Sectional 28 championship, 8-4, over Indian Creek.

Eight days after capturing their first Hoosier Heritage Conference title since 2014, the Golden Bears secured their first sectional championship since 2005.

The Golden Bears (20-4) will face No. 8 Indianapolis Cathedral (20-9-1) Saturday at a date and time to be announced by the IHSAA Wednesday. There are three central Indiana regional sites that could serve as the host site – Center Grove, Mooresville and Plainfield.

Following its come-from-behind win Saturday over New Palestine, Shelbyville was in prime position to use its ace against an Indian Creek team that upset Roncalli in the second semifinal Saturday. University of Kentucky recruit Aiden Smith (7-0, 1.16 ERA) was set up for the start but what was thought to be a minor knee injury suffered in the first inning Saturday sliding into second base, was serious enough for him to miss Monday’s championship game.

The senior arrived at batting practice at Shelbyville High School Monday afternoon on crutches. That forced a revamped game plan that also included Smith (the program’s career hits, home runs and runs batted in leader) not in the batting order to face Indian Creek starting pitcher Colt DeHart – a Taylor University commit.

“We found out about half an hour before we left (for Roncalli). We just really felt bad for him and how much he has done to get here and accomplish with his family,” said Shelbyville head coach Jacob Shively. “I met with the kids and told them how we would do this for anybody, just put yourself in his shoes and what he has done. It’s next man up.”

Steve Bush photo: Shelbyville junior Luke Coomes delivers a pitch to an Indian Creek batter Monday during Sectional 28 action at Roncalli High School.

Senior Reece Prickett took the ball for a second straight game and produced two scoreless innings before hitting three consecutive Braves to start the third inning which forced a call to the bullpen. With Smith and Austin Martzall, who threw six scoreless innings Saturday, unavailable, Shively turned to junior Luke Coomes to make his postseason debut on the mound.

Coomes surrendered a sacrifice fly but struck out Elijah Guyer to end the threat. He rolled through the next three innings to keep the Golden Bears in the lead 5-1.

“Right after (we learned Smith was unavailable), coach (Brent) Thoman came up to me and said I would probably have to go in relief,” explained Coomes. “I was mentally prepared and went out and did it.

“I went in there and trusted myself and trusted my defense, tried to fill up the zone and throw strikes. … I trusted my defense. I had one hell of a defense behind me.”

Indian Creek (12-11) made two first-inning errors that helped the Golden Bears race out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning. Martzall turned a leadoff walk into a run following consecutive hits from Gavin Reed and Prickett.

A Brady Bryant sacrifice fly scored Reed and Prickett raced home after the throw to get him out advancing to third base sailed into left field.

“We tried to focus on our bats and we were super aggressive and they had some mistakes there,” said Shively. “We said all year put the ball in play and see what happens. And be aggressive with early strikes, early fastballs, lay off the off speeds until two strikes.”

Adair Zermeno walked to start the second inning and scored on Reed’s second hit of the game to extend the lead to 4-0.

DeHart needed 60 pitches to get through the first two innings (three hits and three walks) then settled in over the next three innings and racked up five strikeouts.

With his pitch count nearing the maximum limit allowed, DeHart secured two more strikeouts to start the sixth but walked pinch hitter Dylan Coy, who advanced to second on another Indian Creek fielding error and scored on Martzall’s single to extend the lead to 5-1.

Landen Hamilton took the mound to start the seventh and immediately got in trouble. Reed and Prickett greeted him with back-to-back hits. Reed would eventually score on a wild pitch. Prickett crossed the plate on Nolan Cord’s opposite field single. Coomes then plated Brayden Smith, who was hit by a pitch and moved to third on Cord’s single.

Shelbyville led 8-1 and needed just three outs to close out the Braves. Those three outs did not come easy.

Coomes walked the first two batters then surrendered a run on a Grayson Taylor single. He struck out Nick Winters for the first out of the inning but gave up a RBI single to DeHart that cut the lead to 8-3.

Hamilton followed with his team’s third hit of the inning to load the bases. Coomes then hit Guyer with a pitch to force in a run to make it 8-4. The bases were still loaded.

Shively called on Reed to shift from shortstop to the mound. That moved Prickett to shortstop.

Reed quickly put two strikes on the scoreboard against Ferguson. The Indian Creek catcher then laced a pitch hard to Prickett’s right. He snared it, fired to Bryant covering second base who turned the double play to set off the celebration.

“That just fired me up. That was a great play by Reece,” said Coomes. “That felt exhilarating. It was a rush of adrenaline. It was awesome.”

Coomes earned the win, pitching 4.1 innings, allowing five hits and one walk while striking out two.

Reed had three hits and scored two runs ahead of earning the save in the seventh inning.

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