Gallery by Heather Belcher
Capturing Game 1 of the best-of-3 series never guarantees a championship, but it does give the winning team some much-needed momentum.
Monday in the Class AA Region 3 matchup between Independence and PikeView at Joseph H. Goddard Field, the Patriots seized the early boost with a 10-4 win over the Panthers.
“I thought we played well after the first inning,” Independence head coach Scott Cuthbert said. “What we did defensively, I think was nerves and we hadn’t played in awhile. I knew it would be a little different with the bigger crowd. We were able to score a little bit in each inning and I thought that was big.”
The visitors hit the ground running in the first inning to take a quick 3-0 lead via some two-out lightning.
Starting pitcher Jared Vestal helped his own cause with a double to score Landon Wyatt who walked to open the game. Following a walk to Sammy Lyle, Zach Rose ripped a 1-2 pitch to the left-center gap scoring two more runs.
The early lead was possibly as much a curse as a blessing for the visitors.
“I wish I would have relayed the message after the game to them earlier,” PikeView head coach Josh Wyatt said. “This is a three-game series. Even if we come in here and win tonight, it’s just a momentum thing. It’s not the series and we are not done. I think we pressed, especially after getting out to the 3-0 lead.”
Independence applied some pressure in the bottom of the first frame with an RBI-single from Blake Stratton, but, the early momentum was stopped cold thanks to three big plays by the Panthers.
Catcher Sammy Lyle erased an Indy runner at third base moving up on Stratton’s single before Drew Damewood snagged a liner on the infield for out number two.
PikeView escaped any further damage when Vestal made a quick turn and picked the runner off at second base.
Unfortunately for PikeView, the bats went cold for the next three innings and the Patriots capitalized.
“At the plate we were chasing balls out of the zone. Kudos to (Independence starter Cole) Cunningham eating up the outside part of the plate,” Wyatt said. “We were getting some lazy fly balls against him. We got out of routine there and it put us behind too much to try and fight back in an environment like this.”
The home team tied the game in the bottom of the second when Orion Wills reached second base on a throwing error and scored on a single from Micah Cuthbert.
Reid Warden fisted a pitch into the grass behind second prior to both runners moving up on a sacrifice bunt from Justin Williams. Cuthbert then scored on a deep sacrifice fly from Levi Barnett.
Independence scored three more times in the third inning to take the lead for good, once again taking advantage of a crucial PikeView error.
“Just some routine stuff. Dropping a tag and some over-throws. Misplaying some pop-ups we felt should be caught,” Wyatt said. “This time of the year, you are not going to get away with that.”
After a walk and an error allowed the Patriots to place runners at first and third, Wills singled home a run for the 4-3 lead.
Warden, hitting in the eight-slot, then sent a bullet over the center fielder’s head for a double scoring two more, giving Indy a 6-3 lead.
Wills, Cuthbert and Warden, collectively, knocked in six runs in the win.
“We got a lot out of the bottom (of the order tonight),” Cuthbert said. “The bottom came through big-time for us. That was key. We have hit it when we needed to. We’ve gotten timely hits during this run and that has been big as well.”
Vestal drove in his second run of the game with a single in the fifth inning, but PikeView could get no closer.
The home team put the game to bed an inning later when freshman Degan Williams ripped a double with the sacks full, scoring three runs. A sacrifice fly from Cuthbert gave Indy the 10-4 lead.
Game two swings to Gardner Tuesday night. Provided PikeView can even the series, game three will be back in Coal City Wednesday night.
“We have to keep playing. That is the hardest thing. Several years ago we beat James Monroe (in game one), then lost two straight,” Cuthbert said. “If they come back and beat us tomorrow, then they get all of the momentum. We have to keep going.”
PikeView will hand the ball to freshman Eli Hilling Tuesday with the series on the line. During his initial high school season, Hilling is 7-2 on the year with 136 strikeouts across 74 innings.
Independence will be seeking its first state tournament appearance since 2021, while PikeView will be looking for its first win in a regional game since 2016.
