Lefthander Rocco Bucci won his third straight tournament game, allowing just 3 hits, pushing Olentangy into Sunday’s Division I title game. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks)
Sophomore lefty Rocco Bucci won his third postseason game, Dominic Pirrone had the key hit and left fielder Cameron Birch made a home run-saving catch in the seventh inning to lift Olentangy into the big-school title game.
Canton, OH – Olentangy baseball coach Ryan Lucas fancies himself as “almost the calmest person in the place” during games – even those of such magnitude as Saturday’s Division I state semifinal.
So in the top of the seventh inning, with two on and two out and West Chester Lakota West’s top hitter, Braydon Johnson, at the plate and the Braves holding a 3-1 lead, Lucas didn’t flinch.
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Johnson scorched a ball to left field that kept carrying and carrying before Cameron Birch ran it down next to the fence in Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium for the final out.
“As soon as he hit it, I figured it would die in the wind because they (fly balls) had been all day,” Lucas said. “It did carry a lot more than I thought when it came off the bat but I was confident Cameron would run it down.”
The win catapulted Olentangy (23-7) into the title game against Springboro (25-7) at 4 p.m. Saturday at Canal Park in Akron. Just 10-15 in 2024, the Braves look more and more like a team of destiny with 16 wins in their past 17 games.
The last time the original Olentangy school came this far was 2006 when it fell to Strongsville 12-7 in the championship game.
Top reliever Cooper Tracy came in the seventh to replace southpaw Rocco Bucci, who allowed just three hits in six innings (115 pitches) of rock solid work.
Keegan Campbell promptly led off with a walk. With two outs, Kameron Gaalaas hit a sharp single, boosting the hopes of the Lakota West faithful.
Pitching and defense wins…Olentangy shortstop Carter Hire makes this fine over-the-shoulder catch for the final out in the fourth inning.
Johnson, a junior three-star football prospect at running back with numerous Division I offers who also excels as the Firebirds’ three-hole hitter, gave it a ride that lifted the faithful of both sides to their feet.
“I was thinking, “I’m catching it no matter what … even if I have to climb the fence or go through it,” Birch said. “That one kept carrying and I began to think it might have a chance, but as I continued to size it up, I was confident I’d catch it.
“To get to the state championship game, it’s awesome. It honestly doesn’t feel real. We’re the only ones who truly believed we could do this, and we won’t be denied no matter who our opponent is.”
Lakota West coach Brad Gschwind said his heart skipped a beat when Johnson’s missile kept carrying.
“I thought it had a shot,” Gschwind said. “That’s our best hitter. He’s done it for us all year. You can’t ask for much more. Five feet was just a little bit too short.”
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Like Olentangy, Lakota West had been on an unlikely mission as well, having knocked off Olentangy Liberty (1-0) and heavy favorite Cincinnati Moeller (3-2) for the program’s fourth regional title.
Olentangy struck first in the third inning, loading the bases with no outs. Tracy hit a sacrifice fly to bring home a run, but Lakota West starter Tucker Wilburn survived the jam.
You make the call…Olentangy’s Caleb Rice was ruled out on this play at third base in the Division I semi-final win over Lakota West.
In the fifth, Bucci and Tracy reached on back-to-back singles, then setting Dominic Pirrone ripped a two-RBI double into the left field corner that scored both runners.
“All I was thinking was that we needed a hit,” Pirrone said. “Coach said to look for a pitch to hit and sized up a fastball and smoked it.”
That proved to be ample support for Bucci (8-0) who kept the Firebirds off balance with an array of off-speed pitches.
“He threw a gem,” Lucas said. “He’s been such a bulldog. In the first couple innings Rocco didn’t have his best stuff but his command was really good after that. I think getting the 1-0 lead kind of calmed him down.”
Bucci, a sophomore, has hurled the Braves to three clutch postseason wins. The Firebirds came in batting .304 as a team.
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“I had my slider going today and took some miles per hour off my fastball,” he said. “I had to get the nerves out but I was able to settle in. I’ve been in situations like this before.”
Olentangy closer Cooper Tracy gives the ‘high’ sign to fans after the final out of the Braves’ 3-1 win.
Lakota West coach Brad Gschwind was quick to applaud the effort of Olentangy’s Rocco Bucci.
“You’ve got to tip your cap. The kid threw a great game,” he said.
Bucci and Ty Walburn each collected two hits for Olentangy, which entered the Central District as the No. 4 seed – behind intradistrict rivals Orange, Liberty and Berlin.
“This hasn’t really settled in yet,” said Lucas, in his 12th season at the helm.
“But the idea was to come in here and win two and we’re going to do our best to bring one home to Olentangy (Sunday).”
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