Key hit alludes Norwalk in tourney loss

NORWALK — The momentum was going to go one of two ways. Trailing 3-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning of Friday's Division III sectional title game against Ashland, the Norwalk baseball team had the bases loaded with no outs. Even a double play ball was going to plate a run for the Truckers. But instead, Ashland pitcher Miles Farnsworth battled back to strike out the side on 12 pitches to keep Norwalk off the scoreboard. Seizing the momentum, the Arrows then scored seven times in the top of the fifth for a 10-0 win over the Truckers at the NHS field. The Truckers end the season with a 12-10 record. The game played out much differently than a 4-3 win in eight innings by Norwalk at home just seven days earlier. "We had earlier opportunities to take the lead," Norwalk head coach Jason Higgins said. "We had five baserunners in the first three innings before that, and we couldn't get that timely hit. They made some key plays, and their pitcher was athletic, fielding some bunts, and their shortstop was very good. "But yeah, it could have gone one of two ways there after we didn't score in the fourth," he added. "We weren't able to keep the pressure on them because they got to us first." In the top of the third, the Arrows (14-11) drew two walks and then got a single off Norwalk starter Wesley Shupe. Shupe then walked another batter with the bases loaded, and then another RBI single and a fourth walk pushed across two more runs. In the fourth, Shupe and Kevin Howard both drew walks to start the inning. Isaiah Wells reached on an error that was misplayed near second base to also load the bases with no outs. But then Farnsworth kept everything in the zone, and the Truckers couldn't catch up to him. Ashland then took that momentum in the top of the fifth, as the first four batters reached base with three singles and a walk for a 5-0 lead. The Arrows then scored four more runs before the second out of the inning, then added the 10th run on a passed ball. After Landon Ferkel reached on an error, reliever Tyler Holt recorded three straight outs to end the game by the run rule. Farnsworth allowed just two hits with five strikeouts and four walks over the first four innings. Noah Helton and Shupe had the two singles for the Truckers. The Truckers started the season with an 11-3 record and were alone in first place in the SBC Lake. But a five-game losing streak followed, which included a tough 2-1 loss at Bellevue in a game that Norwalk allowed just one hit. The losing skid ended with the win over the Arrows last week. "That's just how baseball goes, because there were some games we won that we didn't play very well also," Higgins said. "There were games we lost that we played some of our best games of the season. But we were mostly competitive in some big games. Early on, those games went our way, but after that, they did not. "The guys competed. It wasn't anything as far as guys giving up or anything. They were playing hard the entire year. Baseball is a game you can be on one side of it, then the next day, you end up on the wrong side." After finishing 8-17 in 2023 and 7-15 last season, the 12-10 mark is still a strong step forward for the Truckers. They lose seniors Kevin Howard, Tyler Norwood, Avery Scheel and Isaiah Wells to graduation. "We're going to lose four good seniors that put in a lot of time, effort and innings into this program," Higgins said. "We will have a lot of experience back, and we'll continue coaching them up. "We'll miss those seniors and everything they did for this program with leadership and attitude. But we also understand that there is potential to keep this thing going." Ashland 003 07 — 10 9 2 Norwalk 000 00 — 0 2 0 WP: Farnsworth; LP: Shupe