Miller Extra Inning Walk-Off Double Sends Louisville to Districts – Baseball
#11 Louisville 5, #19 Lake 4, 8 Innings
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The #11 seed Louisville Leopards Baseball Team rallied past the visiting #19 seed Lake Blue Streaks 5-4 in 8 innings Thursday Evening in their DI Macedonia Sectional Final played at Andy Aljancic Field. With their sixth straight victory, Louisville improves to 17-8 and advances to take on the top seeded Jackson Polar Bears at Nordonia’s Bernie Hovan Memorial Field on Tuesday, May 21 at 1:00 PM in the DI Macedonia District Semifinals.
Miller Delivers Walk-Off Double in 8th Inning
Seven innings was not enough to decide the outcome of Thursday’s sectional final rematch between the Leopards and Blue Streaks who remained tied 4-4 heading into extra innings. In the bottom of the eighth, Jakeb Beard fouled off three pitches before eventually drawing a 1 out walk. Lake nearly sent the game to the ninth on a near 5-4-3 double play in the next at-bat. However, Zach Root beat the throw to first allowing for the inning to continue. As Cole Miller stepped to the plate, Head Coach Brian Warner brought in speedy courtesy runner Austin Peterson to replace Root.
The move would pay off as Miller would drive a 1-1 pitch deep to left-center field. The ball bounced off the warning track and hit the wall as two Blue Streak outfielders collided. Peterson rounded third and scored the winning run standing up ahead of the throw, that was offline anyways. The Louisville bench erupted in pandemonium and charged onto the field mobbing Miller in celebration between second and third base.
The Leopards were Division I Sectional Champions for the second straight year.
Miller Double Gives Leopards Early Lead
The first inning was almost a foreshadowing of home the game would end in the eighth inning. Lake managed a base runner in the top of the inning, but failed to score. Then in the bottom of the first, Beard was issued a 1-out walk just like he would later get on base in the eighth via a free pass.
Two batters later, Miller hit a 2-out RBI double to center field that that plated Beard from second to put Louisville ahead 1-0. Miller would finish 2-for-4 at the plate with his two RBI doubles.
Blue Streaks Take 4-1 Advantage
The Blue Streaks would double up the Leopards in hits for the game 10-5. Adam Larimore would finish a perfect 4-for-4 at the plate with three extra base hits: a triple and a pair of doubles. Noah Kubasky also registered a multi-hit game going 2-for-4 at the dish with two RBI singles.
Lake knotted the game up in the top of the second inning. Josh Sedmock line out to left field bringing home Dylan Sponseller from third to make it 1-1.
The Blue Streaks took the lead in the third inning. Larimore led off the frame with a triple to right field and later came home on Kubasky’s RBI single to center that put Lake in front 2-1.
The Blue Streaks added to their lead in the top of the fifth. Larimore doubled home Emmit Filisky and Kubasky singled in Larimore to make it 4-1 Lake with only one out.
Root Abruptly Ends the Lake 5th
The Blue Streaks had all the momentum and were poised to have an even bigger inning. However, Root picked off courtesy runner Alex Quior at first base and then struck out Aj Mitchell looking on the next pitch seconds later.
Root would throw five innings, give up three earned runs on eight hits, did not surrender a walk, and struck out three. His effort in the fifth helped keep the deficit at 4-1 and opened the door for a Louisville rally.
Graziani Hits Game-Tying 2-Run Single
Root led off the fifth inning with a hard hit line out to right field. That was enough for the Lake pitching staff to make a move to the bullpen in hopes of preserving their 4-1 lead.
The move would backfire as Aj Bosz came out of the pen and walked the bases loaded. The Blue Streaks then brought on Joe Woodin to get out of the jam, but he also walked Andrew Corona with the bases still fully occupied. That brought Jake Paumier to the plate, which trimmed the Leopard disadvantage to 4-2.
Woodin got Zach Ganser to ground into a fielder’s choice to third base in the next at-bat. Sponseller elected to get the lead runner at home rather than attempt to turn what would have been a tough double play.
Bryce Graziani made Lake pay for their decisions soon after. On a 2-2 pitch, Graziani delivered a 2-out, 2-run single to left field that brought home Owen Burick from third and the game-tying run in Corona from second base. Leopards 4, Blue Streaks 4.
Graziani would finish as the only other Louisville batter to have a multi-hit game going 2-for-4 with an earlier single in the second inning.
Miller Shuts Down Lake in Relief
Miller came on for Root in the sixth inning and was dominant. He pitched three scoreless innings, allowed just two hits, didn’t issue a walk, and struck out five.
Miller sent down the first five Blue Streaks he faced, which included striking out three straight Lake hitters. Larimore found the gap in left field for the first hit off Miller, but injured himself while running to second base to secure a double. Miller struck out Drew Bonvenuto looking on three pitches to end the frame after that.
Miller also worked a scoreless eighth inning striking out Sponseller to end the frame. He would then help his own cause with a walk-off double in the bottom of the inning to secure the victory. Miller improves to 4-2 on the mound for the season with the win.
Warner Passes McKinney for 2nd in All-Time Wins
With the victory, Louisville Head Coach Brian Warner passes Bob McKinney for the second most wins in team history. Warner is now 166-91 (.646) in his ninth season since taking over the Leopards program in 2015. McKinney’s mark of 165-162 (.505) was the school record until Mark Adams passed him in 2008. Adams still sits atop the list for most victories with a 178-75 (.704) record from 2000-2008.
Louisville Coaching Records Since 1972
| Coach | W | L | Win. % | # Years | Years Coached |
| Mark Adams | 178 | 75 | .704 | 9 | 2000-2008 |
| Brian Warner | 166 | 91 | .646 | 9 | 2015-Present |
| Bob McKinney | 165 | 162 | .505 | 15 | 1972-1986 |
| Jason Siegfried | 94 | 59 | .614 | 6 | 2009-2014 |
| Tom Chlebeck | 82 | 55 | .599 | 11 | 1989-1999 |
| Ken Radcliff | 20 | 12 | .625 | 2 | 1987-1988 |
| TOTAL | 705 | 454 | .608 | 52 |
Leopards Win Third Straight Sectional Title
The Leopards had never won a Division I Sectional Championship before last season and now they have laid claim to sectional titles in back-to-back seasons. Louisville also defeated Lake 5-1 in last year’s sectional final game played at Andy Aljancic Field.
The Leopards have now won 6 sectional titles overall when competing in the highest division. They won 4 AAA sectional championships from 1976-1990 prior to the OHSAA moving into the four division format. Louisville has won 23 sectional titles overall since 1972 with 5 of them coming under Coach Warner.
The Leopards are now 54-51 in tournament play since 1972, which includes a 22-10 record when playing at home and a 5-5 record when playing in Division I in the postseason.
Louisville is also 5-2 in extra inning tournament games during that span with this being their first extra inning postseason victory since defeating Manchester 3-2 in nine innings on May 15, 2019.
LHS will take on top seeded Jackson next in Macedonia Tuesday Afternoon. The Leopards have not defeated the Polar Bears in the postseason since 1988, the last year they won a large school district title. Jackson has ended Louisville’s tournament run three times since in 1989, 2014, and 2015. The Leopards will look to change the course of history next week.
UP NEXT: The #18 seed Leopards will next challenge the #1 seed Jackson Polar Bears in the DI Macedonia District Semifinals on Tuesday, May 21. Game time is slated for 4:00 PM from Nordonia High School’s Bernie Hovan Memorial Field.
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Lake at Louisville Baseball Box Score
LEOPARDS 5, BLUE STREAKS 4, 8 INNINGS
Note: Win should be credited to Miller and Loss to Woodin
Records: Louisville 17-8, Lake 10-13*
*According to Max Preps
