By Dennis Clark
TERRE HAUTE — North Terre Haute’s Zach Edwards proved Sunday the old adage that “the nicest gifts arrive in small packages.”
Edwards, utilized in a reserve role and batting for the first time in the top of the fifth inning, popped a double over the Franklin center fielder’s head to drive in a pair of critical runs.
Edwards’ two RBIs proved to be the winning margin, vaulting host team North Terre Haute to an exciting 6-4 victory over Franklin in a quarterfinal game of the Little League 9-10 state tournament.
North Terre Haute advances to a semifinal game vs. Munster at 1 p.m. today. In the other semifinal matchup, South Bend Eastside battles McCutcheon at 11 a.m. The two winners meet at 6 p.m. in the championship game.
“All of the games seem to be close at this stage,” stated NTH manager Hans Eilbracht. “That’s what we told the boys [Sunday morning] … ‘you’re going to have to earn everything you get.’ This was a tough Franklin team.
“We were able to get a key hit in the late innings from Zach Edwards to put us ahead. Then our pitching and defense held us again.
“[Edwards] started hitting the ball [Saturday], getting a double then too. We just knew he was swinging the bat well. He just stuck in there and drove it for two runs. All these guys are stars on their league teams, they’re used to playing all the time. They’re all stepping up … that’s what makes champions.”
This game was a see-saw affair, NTH leading 2-0, Franklin leading 3-2, NTH leading 4-3, Franklin tying the game at 4-4.
NTH struck first in the second inning. Lane Dransfield singled, then Jacob Schlosser dropped a bunt down the third base line. But the Franklin second baseman was late in covering first base, the third baseman’s throw sailing untouched towards the right-field corner.
By the time the ball was returned to the infield, Dransfield had scored and Schlosser was at second base. Schlosser went to third on a wild pitch, then put NTH up 2-0 by scoring on a single by Austin Hicks.
Franklin came back with three runs in its half of the second, thanks to three pop-fly singles to right field, two just inside the foul line. Cameron Smith drove in two of the runs, Chad Williams the other for the 3-2 Franklin advantage.
That lead lasted only to the top of the third inning. NTH’s Zach Haase singled with one out, went to second on a wild pitch, then scored on a ground-rule double by T.J. Collett. With two outs, Schlosser singled in pinch-runner Edwards — there he was again — and NTH was back in front again at 4-3.
Franklin deadlocked the score at 4-4 in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, A.J. Barr singled and J.T. Sargent walked before Spencer Wood singled in the tying run.
That set the stage for Edwards’ heroics in the fateful fifth frame.
NTH starting pitcher Hicks lasted until one out in the sixth inning before walking Cameron Smith with his 77th pitch — exceeding by two the mandatory pitch limit of 75 (a pitcher is allowed to finish pitching to his final batter when the 75-pitch count is reached).
Dransfield relieved Hicks and what a relief he was, striking out the final two Franklin hitters.
Hicks allowed four runs and six hits, walking only three batters. He fanned just one Franklin hitter, but utilized his infield defense a whole lot with 13 of his 16 outs coming on ground balls.
“[Hicks] has pitched well the last couple of games,” praised Eilbracht of his starting pitchers’ performance.
“Everybody else is available,” noted Eilbracht of his pitching prospects — with the exception of Hicks —for the semifinal game against Munster and possible championship game today. “We’re going to start Jonathan Eilbracht [vs. Munster today] and then see how it goes.”
North Terre Haute 022 020 — 6 10 1
Franklin 030 100 — 4 6 1
Hicks, Dransfield (6) and Collett; Drybread, Hartcorn (5) and Thompson. W — Hicks. L — Drybread. Sv — Dransfield.
Highlights — For NTH, Zach Haase was 2 for 4 with two runs scored, T.J. Collett had an RBI double, Lane Dransfield was 1 for 2 with two runs scored, Jacob Schlosser has 2 for 3 with an RBI, Luke Jeffrey was 1 for 2, Zach Edwards had a two-run double and Austin Hicks was 2 for 3 with an RBI. For Franklin, Cameron Smith had single and two RBIs, Chad Williams and Spencer Wood had a single and RBI apiece and Andrew Hartcorn, Dylan Drybread and A.J. Barr had singles.
