Walsh takes out Tallmadge to win district championship
By Mike D’Agruma
AKRON — Tournament baseball is a special time.
For the Walsh Jesuit High School Warriors baseball team, the Akron Division II District Championship looked like practice time as it blew past Tallmadge High School with an 8-2 win at Sisler Park May 18.
The defending Division II state champion Warriors dominated their baseball rival in every single facet of the game.
And they looked good doing it.
“Coming into the game I was ready; I was focused,” said pitcher David Starn.
The Warrior effort began with junior southpaw Starn, who threw a complete game four-hitter. Starn struck out six, walked four and only yielded the two runs — numbers that sound good but don’t give the proper insight as to the kind of pitching performance Walsh got from this particular Warrior.
To be fair, Starn has statistically been relieved after five innings of work this season, on average. The win against Tallmadge was his first complete game and third for Walsh this season. So try these numbers instead. Before beginning the sixth inning, Starn had thrown 68 percent of his first pitches for strikes and had retired the last 12 batters he faced, three of those by strikeout and seven by way of groundball out. He had only given up three hits. Before beginning to wear down in the sixth, he had not surrendered a run or a walk.
By contrast, Tallmadge was on its third pitcher — the first being knocked out of the game without recording a single out. At the same point, Blue Devil pitchers were throwing 52 percent of first pitches for strikes and had given up five runs on seven hits and five walks.
“I knew my defense would help me ... ” Starn said.
For the game, a total of 14 Tallmadge hitters were retired by groundball out. This was a result of two things. First, Starn did a good job of working the bottom of the strike zone, getting hitters to make contact on top of his pitches for a number of weak tappers. Second, his infield more or less gave the full crowd an instructional clinic on how to play lights- out individual and team defense.
Infielders Ross Brunello, Joe Darwal, Chris Dowdell and Taylor Hoisington made it seem as though Walsh head coach Chris Kaczmar decided to play with two extra infielders — their range at their individual positions was that impressive. Particularly outstanding on the day was Darwal, who made a number of web gems to save crucial RBI hits, one after diving to snag a tough hopper that would have easily scored runs in a bases-loaded sixth inning.
“Then our offense came alive,” Starn said. “So it’s all good.”
It wasn’t until the third inning that the Warrior offense wasn’t able to load the bases with its first three batters. It wasn’t until the fourth that a lead-off hitter didn’t reach base safely. Actually, there were only two innings where one could argue Walsh hitters didn’t completely dominate Tallmadge pitching.
Kaczmar likes to say there is a healthy competition between thirds of his batting order — simply because he feels from top to bottom, he has hitters who can consistently produce no matter where they hit. Against Tallmadge, it was hard to say which hitters were most effective. Top third hitters Tom Charles, Hoisington and Brunello went 6-9 with two RBIs and three walks. Middle third hitters Dan Sherwood, Kevin Emmendorfer and Alex Ferrara went 2-8 with three RBIs and two walks. Bottom third hitters Dowdell, James Toland and Darwal went 4-8 with three RBIs. Charles and Darwal had perfect days at the plate. Charles went 2-2 with a pair of singles and a pair of walks. Darwal went 3-3 with two doubles and two RBIs.
Healthy competition for the Warriors meant disaster for the Blue Devils. No Tallmadge pitcher lasted longer than three total innings. A frustrating day to be sure for a Tallmadge team that entered the game playing a Walsh squad that looked as though it was enjoying a practice day at the diamond.
“Tournament baseball is a special time,” Kaczmar said. “But at the same token, where you want to play with an increased level of focus and intensity, the game of baseball is still the game of baseball. A ground ball is a ground ball, whether we’re at practice or we’re here at the district championship. A lot of our guys have been there before and it’s helped out.”
With the win, the Warriors advance to the Galion Division II Regional Semifinal, where they will play Sandusky Perkins High School at Heise Park today, May 24, at 2 p.m. The winner will advance to the regional final May 25 at 2 p.m. at Heise Park. The state final will take place June 2 at Cooper Stadium in Columbus.
Walsh Jesuit High School’s David Starn pitched a complete game to help lead the Warriors to an 8-2 Akron Division II District Championship win over Tallmadge High School May 18.
Photo: Mike Junewicz
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