Sunday, June 06, 1999
NewCath wins 10th Region baseball crown
BY JOHN SCHUTTE
Enquirer contributor
Before this spring, no team at Newport Central Catholic had won a regional championship since the boys basketball team in 1984.
The Thoroughbreds' baseball team on Saturday joined the track and softball teams in that accomplishment with a 9-5 victory over Holy Cross in the 10th region championship game at Boone County. The regional crown is Newport Central Catholic's first in baseball since 1976.
NCC advances to the sectional tournament at Harrison County. The Thoroughbreds will learn their opponent in today's draw.
“We've had a great spring at the school,” NCC coach Jeff Schulkens said. “We felt we had to match the other teams.”
For the second straight game, NCC used the sixth inning as a rallying point. In a 10-5 victory over Dixie Heights on Thursday, the Thoroughbreds scored six runs in the sixth, and Saturday they tallied five.
Holy Cross roughed up senior pitcher Jason Roderick for four runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5. But Roderick redeemed himself at the plate. With two outs and a full count in the bottom of the sixth, Roderick grounded a single up the middle to score Kevin Wagner for the go-ahead run.
“He threw me an outside pitch that I was just trying to foul off,” Roderick said, “I was surprised I got a hit out of it.”
Chris Meyer, the next batter, capped the inning with a three-run blast to right center field to seal the outcome.
“I wanted to hit the ball hard and try and drive in the runner on third,” Meyer said. “I got a pitch up and hit it right on the sweet spot.”
Even after a shaky sixth inning, Schulkens never thought about pulling Roderick in the seventh. The exhausted pitcher completed the game in the seventh, getting Holy Cross' 2-3-4 hitters out in order.
“I was tired late in the game after having only three days' rest,” Roderick said. “I knew we just needed one run in the sixth and I would hold them. Meyer hit the home run, and I had all the confidence in the world.”
Holy Cross ....... 100 004 0—5 7 0
Newport CC ....... 020 034 x—9 10 2
WP—Roderick. LP—Feldman. Hitting leaders: HC—Beiting 2-4, HR, 2 runs; Craddock HR; Volpenhein 2RBI. NCC—Roderick 2-3, 2 runs; Wagner 2 runs; Wrobleski 2 runs; Meyer 2-3, HR, 2 runs, 4RBI; Sharp 2-4, 2B. Records: NCC 19-16-1, HC 16-22.
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