Hunter Richardson belts a double in the second inning and later scored on Koby Dues’ double. Richardson had two hits and an RBI. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Jeff Gibert)
The Aviators needed seven innings from senior ace Hunter Richardson to hold off Hamilton Ross. Now they turn to senior Mason Reckner for Thursday’s regional final and a possible berth in the Division III state semifinals.
Oxford, OH – Vandalia Butler’s mission to play in the state baseball tournament next week in Akron comes down to this: The matchup most observers have expected since the OHSAA created seven divisions.
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The Aviators vs. Hamilton Badin.
Two successful programs, previously in different divisions, are well-acquainted with regional tournaments and will meet at 2 p.m. Thursday at Miami University’s Hayden Park in the Division III regional final. And on the artificial turf, this will be high school baseball as real as it gets.
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“I think a lot of people expected this one,” said Butler’s Hall of Fame coach Trent Dues. “They’re very good. I think we got a good team. Whoever plays the best baseball is going to win.”
Butler advanced Tuesday at Hayden Park with a 5-2 victory over Hamilton Ross. The Aviators rode the starting pitching of senior star Hunter Richardson and a four-run second inning to move within a win of what would be the program’s second trip to state and first since 2000.
“I think we can really hang with them and probably get ahead,” Richardson said. “We played (Cincinnati) Moeller this year. We’ve hung with them, so I think we can hang with any of the top teams.”
Coaching will matter, too. Dues won his 649th game Tuesday. Badin’s Brion Treadway won No. 300 and is trying to get his team to state for the fourth time since 2021 and the 16th time ever.
Butler ace Hunter Richardson allowed two runs on four hits and four walks and struck out 10 to run his record to 9-0.
Butler (28-3) pitched its ace Tuesday while Badin (24-6) held back junior ace Caleb Driessen for Thursday’s showdown. The Rams defeated Monroe 12-2 in six innings in Tuesday’s first semifinal.
The Aviators will turn to senior starter Mason Reckner, who has pitched well in only five games this season while getting healthy. Jackson Schilling, the team’s sophomore catcher, and Koby Dues, the team’s sophomore third baseman, will be ready in relief if needed.
“Reckner’s got a lot of experience,” Schilling said. “Last year he beat Moeller at Moeller, and he beat Loveland. He’s going to go into the game with a really good mindset, and I think he’s going to do well against them.”
To get to Thursday, Butler had to work harder than some may have expected. Ross, known for its pitching and defense, has been on a hot streak because its offense has come to life.
Richardson, who will be playing for Marshall next spring, went to the mound in the third inning with a 5-0 lead. But he uncharacteristically got into trouble by allowing a one-out single and walk. He got one of his 10 strikeouts on the next batter. Then senior Ben Voegele, the Rams’ best hitter, hit a two-run single.
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“I started to get a little out of control and throwing balls, but then I just went back to the regular just throwing strikes,” Richardson said.
After the Rams cut the lead to three, Richardson found his rhythm. With the score close, it became clear that he wouldn’t leave the mound to be saved for some innings against Badin.
Hamilton Ross’ Carson Sackenheim and his sidearm delivery shut out Butler over the final 5 1/3 innings.
“He got stronger the last three innings,” Dues said. “Once he knew we were going to keep him in, he found that second, third, fourth gear. He got in a rhythm. When you get a rhythm, you got a little mojo going.”
As the mojo showed, Schilling saw a change in the way Richardson attacked hitters.
“I saw him start to kind of slow down his fastball a little bit, not worry about trying to blow it by them and really try to throw strikes, really pitch contact to our guys,” he said. “We got a really good defense, so that’s really easy to do.”
Richardson (9-0) retired 12 of the final 16 batters he faced and pitched out of a bases-loaded jam in the sixth.
Whatever Richardson’s highest gear is, he found it in the seventh and stepped on the accelerator. He struck out the first three batters in Ross’ order on 16 pitches. With each swing and miss and called strike, Richardson’s emotions showed on his sleeve.
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When he got Voegele looking the final strike, he jumped up and down and bounced toward the dugout to celebrate with his teammates.
“Our goal is to get to Akron, and so tonight was a big step for that,” Richardson said. “That’s why I was amped up.”
Schilling was glad to see his pitcher fired up as he dominated in the seventh. Because three strikeouts were not his expectation.
Butler’s Koby Dues is about to connect for two-run double in the second inning that pushed the lead to 4-0. He later scored on a wild pitch.
“He gets emotional when it’s a big game, when he’s doing really well,” Schilling said. “I was going into the seventh thinking maybe get a few ground outs, few fly outs, and he just went out there and really blew it past them.”
Ross countered with its ace Nolan Ertel and his 0.77 ERA. But the Aviators knocked him around with nine hits and out of the game with a run in the first and four in the second. Schilling singled in a run in the first. In the second, Richardson hit an RBI double, Dues hit a two-run double and later scored on a wild pitch.
“Ertel getting hit a little bit was unusual,” Ross coach Brad Voegele said. “We felt like we needed to go do something different because even outs were barreled. He got the ball up a little bit early in counts. in hitting counts and advantage counts for the hitter.”
Voegele turned to sidearmer Carson Sackenheim with the kind of arm slot the Aviators rarely see. He held Butler to two hits over the final 5 1/3 innings.
“For some reason we had their starter’s number,” Dues said. “For some reason, their guy they brought in had our number. I don’t know. I can’t explain it.”
Voegele had an explanation for the Aviators’ fast start.
“That was probably the best hitting team we’ve seen all year,” he said. “Anytime you get the ball up against a decent high school baseball team at this point in the season, you’re going to get hit.”
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