LANCASTER — Brody Randall’s powerful left arm and Brody Driskel’s fleet feet were all Newark needed.
Randall scattered five hits, Driskel scored the game’s only run on a daring first-inning steal of home and the Wildcats stunned Liberty 1-0 in the opening game of a Division I regional semifinal doubleheader Tuesday at Beavers Field.
“Never did I dream that one run would be enough against that team, a team that’s been ranked one or two in the state all year,” Newark coach Mike Wheeler said. “Our sophomore lefty, Brody Randall, what a day against a great baseball team.”
Pitcher’s duel
Randall and Liberty ace Parker Van Engelenhoven were both sensational. Randall struck out three and walked three while the Louisville-bound Van Engelenhoven fanned eight, walked three and hit a batter.
“I knew it was going to be a pitcher’s duel when we found out Parker was pitching,” Randall said. “He’s a great pitcher, but I tried to match him as best as I could.”
One and done
Newark (21-7) gave Randall all the run support he needed in the top of the first.
Driskel was hit by a pitch to lead off the game, took second on a passed ball and moved to third on a wild pitch. Bodie Smith coaxed a two-out walk, putting runners at first and third for Luke Miller.
Miller fell behind 0-1 when Wheeler signaled for a double steal. Smith broke for second, but stopped in his tracks and headed back for first when the throw went through. Meanwhile, Driskel raced for home while Smith was scurrying back to first and scored with a head-first slide
“We did some stuff on the bases to try to get one in,” Wheeler said. “We didn’t execute it quite the way I would have imagined, but we got a chance to score a run.”
Missed opportunities
Liberty (25-5) had a chance to tie it in the home half of the first, but a couple of base running miscues short-circuited the inning.
Louie Santangelo led off with a double and would have likely scored the game-tying run on Evan Thacker’s one-out single between short and third, but the ball struck Santangelo on the foot, resulting in the second out of the inning.
Thacker went from first to third on Knox Brenning’s two-out opposite field single, but Thacker got hung up in a rundown between third and home after rounding third base and was tagged out for the final out of the inning.
Then, in the sixth, Van Engelenhoven led off with a triple but was eventually cut down at the plate trying to steal home with two outs.
“In a situation like that, runs were at a premium,” Liberty coach Ty Brenning said.
“The way I look at it, four things happen on that play and three are in our favor: [Randall] bounces the ball home, we beat it or he balks.
“The fourth thing is they execute it and we get called out.”
Wheeler made a mound visit before Van Engelenhoven’s attempted steal of home to talk through the scenario.
“They put [Randall] in a pressure situation there, and as a sophomore he didn’t manic,” Wheeler said. “He got the ball into our catcher. Our catcher steps and makes a great play. It was a huge play by those kids in that situation.”
Leaders
Moses Crane had three hits for the Wildcats, including a double. Miller had a pair of singles.
Van Engelenhoven tripled for the Patriots. Santangelo laced a double.
“The thing that I am stick-your-chest-out proud about with this group is their poise and their courage,” Brenning said. “I thought it was a championship effort today.”
