Triton Central captures first baseball sectional title since 2012

INDIANAPOLIS – Triton Central blew a three-run lead in the top of the seventh only to push a run across the plate in the bottom half of the inning to secure the baseball program’ first sectional championship since 2012.

Heritage Christian scored three times in seventh to tie the game at 5-all but a hit batter, an error and two walks allowed Triton Central to score the game-winning run in a 6-5 victory Monday at Heritage Christian on the east side of Indianapolis.

 “We got it done at the end, but it wasn’t pretty,” said Triton Central head coach Justin Bergman.

Triton Central (20-5) will face Shenandoah (21-4) Saturday in the regional championship game at a site yet to be determined.

The IHSAA will announce regional assignments and game times Wednesday. The three closest regional sites out of the eight being used in southern Indiana are Center Grove, Mooresville and Madison.

Haney, a Wabash College commit, entered Monday’s sectional championship without a loss this season and an earned run average below 1.00. The left-hander cruised through the first two innings then battled over the final five innings as his pitch count rose.

Leading 5-2 and needing just three outs, Haney walked the leadoff batter. After securing his 12^th strikeout of the game, Carson Wilhite and Luke Strege singled to cut the lead to 5-3.

Haney nearly ended the game after getting Alex Jackson to ground to shortstop Eli Sego, who tried to turn a double play but Jackson beat the throw to first base.

Will Ambrose then laced a pitch past Triton Central first baseman Weston Smith to tie the game.

That pushed Haney’s pitch total to 115 – five short of the maximum number he could throw in the game.

“I think I got in my head a little bit at the start (of the inning),” said Haney. “Obviously, that two-run (single) hurt but I knew we could come back out and get some hits so I wanted to keep it at a tie game.”

Tripp Vaughan relieved Heritage Christian starting pitcher Kellen Compton in the fourth inning and got out of a jam. Vaughan had control problems in the fifth, when he allowed three runs on one hit, a Haney double, three walks and a hit batter.

“Our game plan every time we take the field, is we have to control our effort and control our attitude,” said Bergman. “I felt like all day we were having quality at bats against two very good arms on the mound.”

Vaughan mowed down the Tigers in the sixth before his control issues returned in the seventh.

Bo West started the inning getting hit for the second time in the game. Haney then reached on a fielding error and the pressure mounted.

Brayden Hoover was intentionally walked to load the bases.

Nick Riggins, who blasted a solo home run in the second inning, ripped a Vaughan pitch to deep center field but West did not immediately tag up and a scoring opportunity was wasted.

That brought Smith to the plate. He worked a 3-0 count before seeing a strike. The next pitch was well off the plate to score the run and set off the celebration.

“This means so much to us,” said Haney. “For me and our other seniors, we worked so hard to get there. As a program, we started at a spot our freshman year where we were about .500, now to get to this, it means so much.

“I definitely want to go back to all the seniors that we’ve had before and building this program up. It means so much to us, this moment would not happen without them.”

Haney scattered seven hits, including a two-run home run by Wilhite in the third, and three walks to improve to 9-0 this season.

The Eagles (18-7) stranded seven base runners over the final four innings.

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