When the Berkshire Badgers’ baseball team surrendered the game’s first run in the bottom of the third inning, they did what they do best by responding with five unanswered runs to upset Southeast 5-1 in the Ohio High School Athletic Association Division V Northeast 3 sectional championship last Thursday in Palmyra Township.
“The umpires umpired a great game, and we knew we were going to have to try to not leave it in their hands,” said Coach Craig Barstow. “We were very fortunate to get the win and Southeast is a great team and it was exciting to go into their home field and the environment that we were in and get the victory.”
If the Badgers (11-4, 5-5) defeat Norwayne in the district semifinal on Wednesday, they would face either Chagrin Valley Conference Valley Division foe Chagrin Falls or Tuslaw in the district championship at Mentor High School on Friday evening at 5 p.m.
“It would be awesome, but we know we face very good opponents no matter who wins,” noted the first-year coach. “We have to go on the road again into the lion’s den to see where we are at, but it would be something that would be great to have a chance to play for a district championship would be spectacular.”
One year after Berkshire’s five-year streak of winning at least one postseason game came to end, the Badgers are starting a new streak with the victory against the Pirates marking the first career postseason victory for Barstow.
On Thursday, Southeast struck first when junior shortstop Cohen Richardson delivered a two-out RBI-single to left field in the bottom of the third inning and advanced to second base on the throw.
Barstow acknowledged that Southeast scoring the game’s first run on a two-out hit swung the momentum in its favor but added that the Badgers have been especially good at responding to the opposition striking first.
Senior first baseman Patrick Brancel answered Southeast’s early run by hitting a RBI-double into left field in the top of the fifth inning, tying the game at 1-1.
“Patrick game up earlier in the game and they intentionally walked him,” noted Barstow. “I don’t blame them; he is one of the best hitters in Northeast Ohio. He came up with one out and we had guys on first and second and those are one of those darned if you do, darned if you don’t situations.”
Senior right-hander Sam Barcikoski delivered the clutch hit that the Badgers needed by ripping a grand slam home run to right field in the top of the sixth frame, pushing the Badgers ahead 5-1.
“Sam has been a big hitter for us all year. He is batting somewhere between .350 and .400, probably pushing closer to .400 realistically,” Barstow said. “He has been a great leader for us all year on the mound and at the plate, it was one of those moments where it was his moment.”
After hitting the go-ahead grand slam, he sealed the victory in the top of the seventh inning, finishing off a complete game, hurling seven innings, surrendering only one run (zero earned) on one walk while striking out one batter.
The Badgers’ senior went one-for-three at the plate, scoring two runs, recording one walk with his one hit being the biggest hit of the game.
“It was a non-eventful seventh inning which is always great because anyone who loves the sport, the last three outs are always the hardest,” added Barstow. “I talked to Sam when I went out, ‘The first one is the most important one. You let that first one get on, even though we are up by four, it starts to give the momentum and starts to let them believe so just focus on getting the first kid first.’”
Although the Badgers finished the regular season with a record below .500, Barstow credited his team’s resiliency to always finding an answer whenever they found themselves trailing early and highlighted the team’s grit against a stout schedule this year, both in conference and non-conference play, as the Badgers remained in contention to win the CVC Valley Division title until the final league game of the year.
“We did not have the record to show that we could compete, but we knew we were there and all you can ask for is a shot and we gave ourselves an opportunity to win,” he said.
