AKRON, Ohio –The battery for Roger Bacon High School's baseball team Thursday night at Akron's Canal Park was the only two players who had previously played on the state field.
As freshmen, Jake Tschida and George Janzen started for Roger Bacon's 2019 state semifinalists. As seniors, Tschida started Thursday's semi on the mound, with Janzen in gear on the receiving end.
Unfortunately, the pair suffered the same ending as the Spartans couldn't score and Milan Edison plated three in the game's extra inning to win 3-0.
"We just couldn't come up with the big sac fly or the big hit," Roger Bacon coach Tim McCoy said. "What's pushed us through this tournament is we got that every single day. Their kid was unreal today. He pounded the zone too and kept us off balance. It was just one of those days where it just wasn't our day at the plate."
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Tschida tied a season-high with 12 strikeouts and didn't allow the Chargers to score through his 5.2 innings of work. He allowed just two hits.
Logan Huber then kept Edison scoreless until the top of the eighth when they finally stopped the string of zeroes.
Edison's Thomas Simon got the win shutting out Roger Bacon on five hits and striking out 10, while Ben Bates got a game-ending double play in the bottom of the eighth to send the Chargers on to Sunday's championship.
Tschida was able to keep the Chargers unplugged getting out of tough jams in the third and fourth innings. But, Edison's Simon was equally elusive digging out of a fourth-inning bases-loaded hole with a pair of strikeouts.
After 116 pitches and two walks in the sixth, Tschida was pulled. He matched his season-high in strikeouts with 12. Reliever Huber ended the inning on three pitches to Bryce Michaelis.
"He was dealing tonight," McCoy said of Tschida. "I think we had 14 strikeouts on them (12 Tschida, two Huber). It's tough to lose a game when you have 14 Ks. He pounded the zone the entire time. Any time I went to go and get him he was like, 'No man!' That's the most pitches he's thrown all year."
The Spartans appeared to be in business in the sixth with Jacob Goyette on third and Huber on second after a Simon wild pitch. Ty Brenner's short fly to center was the game's first chance at a run but Michaelis gunned the runner down for the inning-ending double play.
In the eighth, Michaelis would deliver again. Edison's Noah Smith singled and eventually was at third with one out after a sacrifice. The Spartans intentionally walked Blake Simon to load the bases for Michaelis. The senior singled to right for the game's first run. A fielder's choice and a throwing error led to a 3-0 lead for the Chargers going to the bottom of the inning.
Roger Bacon got Janzen on in the eighth with a walk, but after a strikeout, Edison's Bates got Anthony Hoffman to line out to second and Clint Finnen was able to double up Janzen to end the game.
"I did all I could do," Tschida said. "Sadly, I couldn't show at the plate tonight going 0-for-4. Somebody's got to go home. Sadly, it was us. I'll cherish these memories we've made these past four years for the rest of my life."
Roger Bacon finishes 20-9. It was their first shutout since May 5 against Franklin. Edison advances to play Apple Creek Waynedale in the Division III state final Saturday at 1 p.m.
