‘It’s what you live for, man.’ Clutch plays take Sayre back to 11th Region final
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- Sayre beat Madison Central 5-4 in the 11th Region semifinal at Legends Field.
- Senior pitcher Gary Gibson ended the game with an unassisted double play at third base.
- Sayre will face Great Crossing at 7 p.m. Thursday at George Rogers Clark High School.
After his team rallied to take a one-run lead in the top of the seventh inning against Madison Central in the 11th Region Baseball Tournament semifinals at Legends Field on Wednesday, Sayre coach Kevin Clary acknowledged the Spartans’ attempt to close out the game strayed from how he envisioned.
Two walks and a hit batsman to load the bases with no one out was not the plan.
“No it was not, and that’s why I don’t have any hair,” Clary said.
Sayre senior pitcher Gary Gibson formulated his plan as soon as he threw a wild pitch to allow his two walks to move up to second and third base. He didn’t want to load the bases either, of course.
“No, but it’s what you live for, man. It’s what you’re here for,” Gibson said.
Gibson has been used sparingly on the mound this season and didn’t pitch at all last year due to shoulder issues. Regardless, Clary left the game in the hands of his best player.
“I felt like we were going to win or lose with our guy on the mound,” he said.
After the wild pitch, Gibson plunked Braxton Hicks on the next throw. With the bases full, he didn’t have to pitch from the stretch any longer.
“To be honest, once it got second and third, I got a little antsy,” Gibson said. “When I got bases loaded, I knew I could get comfortable in the windup.”
Gibson struck out Madison Central’s Zakaree Turner on four pitches, the last two were called strikes.
“That was huge,” Clary said.
On the next pitch, Luke Bryner floated his bunt attempt directly at Gibson as the Indians’ Carson Sizemore sprinted home from third. Madison Central was trying a squeeze bunt to tie the game.
Instead, Gibson picked the ball out of the air and sprinted gleefully toward third base for an unassisted double play to end the game and send the defending 11th Region champions back to the regional final with a dramatic 5-4 victory.
“I mean, perfect scenario. He tried to lay a bunt down. (I had to) get off the mound and make sure to make an athletic play, take the easy play at third and got out of a bad jam,” Gibson said.
“Perfect scenario.” Indeed.
“They never quit. They play loose. They play free,” Clary said. “They love each other. Our team chemistry is wonderful. … They make it a joy for me to come to the ballpark every day.”
The lead changed hands four times over seven innings. No. 17 Madison Central (25+-12) got an RBI double by Kannon Cook in the first after a one-out single by Will Richardson. No. 6 Sayre (25-9) answered with a two-run single with two out by Cole Tackett after a leadoff walk by Tripp Winton and a hit by Joaquin Acevedo.
Winton’s run-scoring shot to center capped three straight singles in the third inning to put Sayre up 3-1. Madison Central clawed back with a run in the third and a tying run in the fifth.
In the sixth inning, Jagger Hamm’s two-out RBI single scored Tielor Howie for a 4-3 Indians lead. Cook tried to tack on another run on the play, but was thrown out by Acevedo at the plate.
Gibson drew a leadoff walk in the top of the seventh. He moved up to second base on Elliot Jansky’s groundout. He scored on Banks Heinrich’s single to left to tie the game. Heinrich advanced to second base on the throw home.
One batter later, Acevedo stepped to the plate with Heinrich on second and two outs. His only thoughts were on the previous at-bats and what he needed to do now.
“I had been out in front of the ball all day. I was really trying to sit back and get a good pitch to hit and drive it,” Acevedo said.
Acevedo hit a sharp line drive to center field to score Heinrich with the go-ahead run and set up the dramatic finish. He explained the Spartans’ resilience simply.
“We never really give up,” Acevedo said. “If you can put the ball in play, you get a chance.”
Sayre will face Great Crossing at 7 p.m. Thursday as the tournament moves to George Rogers Clark High School for the championship game.
11th Region Baseball Tournament
At George Rogers Clark High School, Winchester.
Thursday’s championship game
7 p.m.: Sayre (25-9) vs. Great Crossing (17-15).
