Brianna Mac Kay,Frank DiRennaColumbus Dispatch
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Greg Kennedy needed to face only the minimum 21 batters to secure Jonathan Alder a Division II baseball district championship Wednesday.
The senior pitcher threw his first perfect game, leading the second-seeded Pioneers (27-2) to a 2-0 victory over seventh-seeded London (23-8) in a Madison County showdown at Grove City and a berth in a regional semifinal next week.
Despite being around 15 minutes late to the team bus because of a garbage truck blocking the garage while his home’s roof was being fixed, Kennedy was ready to pitch.
“He did what I’ve seen out of him the last three years now,” Jonathan Alder coach Craig Kyle said. “I’m not going to lie and say I expected him to throw a perfect game, but he hits spots, he pitches ahead. He has three pitches he can mix, and he did that when it counted.”
In the bottom of the third, shortstop Ashton Martin gave Jonathan Alder a 1-0 lead with an RBI double to left field. It also was in that inning that Kennedy said he started to realize he had yet to allow a baserunner.
Jonathan Alder extended its advantage to 2-0 in the bottom of the fifth.
Left with six batters to close the deal, Kennedy dealt two more strikeouts, finishing the game with 10, and pulled off perfection.
After an outing against London on May 1 in which he gave up three runs and nine hits in Jonathan Alder’s 7-4 victory, Kennedy was happy to redeem himself in a win-or-go-home scenario.
“In my mind, it’s more than a perfect game, it’s a district title,” he said. “Without all of our fielders, great plays in left field, great plays in the infield, great play in center field in the last inning to keep it in there, it’s not a perfect game for the pitcher.”
Jonathan Alder will play Springfield Kenton Ridge or Dayton Chaminade Julienne in a regional semifinal May 30 at Mason.
Olentangy Orange 6, Dublin Coffman 3
Third-seeded Orange moved a step closer to its second consecutive Division I state tournament by holding off sixth-seeded Coffman at Olentangy Liberty to win its fifth district title.
Orange (21-7) will play top-seeded Olentangy Berlin or 11th-seeded Pickerington Northin a regional semifinal May 30 at Grove City. Last season, the Pioneers lost to Cincinnati Moeller 4-1 in the state final.
“These guys have been around and seen it,” coach Tom Marker said. “It’s important for these guys to get their chance to do the same thing some of the other guys did.”
Competing in its first district final since 2011, Coffman (19-10) closed a strong season under first-year coach Corey Gould.
“It’s testament to these guys,” Gould said. “The moment that I came in, they just went to work, and they loved being together. We just tried to cultivate that. They did a heck of a job. It’s a season to be proud of.”
The teams met four times this season with Orange winning three, including two OCC-Central victories on its way to the league title at 12-3, a game ahead of Coffman.
Coffman pulled to within 2-1 in the fourthbefore Orange scored three times in the bottom of the inning, highlighted by Griffin Zavislak’s two-run single to center.
Reid Hemrick went the first four innings for Orange, allowing three runs and three hits while striking out four to earn the win. Nick Liberati pitched the final three innings for the save.
“This means the world to me,” said Liberati, a first-year varsity player. “It’s an awesome experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Mason Woycitzky had two hits for Orange.Drew Walti and Ethan Wendt each had a hit and RBI for Coffman.
Hilliard Bradley 1, Grove City 0
The 22nd-seeded Jaguars (16-15) scored in the top of the seventh and held off second-seeded Grove City (25-5) at Upper Arlington to win their first district title.
Bradley opened in 2009.
“Did I think we'd turn it around this fast, no, because there’s not much tradition at Bradley,” second-year coach Dave Starling said. “It’s only 15 years old, so they really haven’t had an opportunity to develop that type of baseball tradition. The way that these young men have accepted coaching, we had some tough times during the season, but they’ve really bought in. They’re playing with a lot of passion. I wouldn’t want to play us right now.”
With two outs in the seventh, Logan Minamyer tripled and scored on Drew Barren’s single.
Grove City threatened in the bottom of the seventh, but winning pitcher Ethan Williams worked out of trouble. Williams went the distance, allowing two hits while striking out two and walking one.
Playing in his final game for Grove City, Ohio State commit Keegan Holmstrom also turned in a complete-game effort, allowing five hits while striking out 10 and walking two.
Bradley will play 12th-seeded Dublin Scioto or 13th-seeded Olentangy Liberty in a regional semifinal May 30 at Grove City.
Starling took over at Bradley after seven years at New Albany, which he led to the Division I state title in 2021. His contract was not renewed following the 2022 seasondespite winning district titles in each of his last four seasons.
“I’m still passionate about the game and I wasn’t ready to give the game up,” Starling said. “I certainly didn’t want to leave on New Albany’s terms. I enjoy having the opportunity to coach these young men.”
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