SECTIONAL CHAMPIONS — The Miami Trace Panthers won a Sectional title on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 as they defeated the Circleville Tigers 1-0 in eight innings. (front, l-r); Jameson Hyer, Evan Colegrove, Ben Mathews, Austin Brown, Keenan Moore, Brody McBee, and Cade Whitaker. (back, l-r); Assistant Coach Bobby Gentry, Cooper Enochs, Austin Boedeker, Gaige Stuckey, assistant coach John Phillips, Trenton Huffman, Justin Robinson, Garrett Zimmerman, Brady Armstrong, head coach Rob Smith, Cam Morton, Xavier Lawhorn, Konner May, Gage Henry, Landon LeBeau and Brandon Armstrong.
Tyler Flora | Record-Herald
Panther lefty Gaige Stuckey pitched a gem of a game in the Sectional Championship against Circleville on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. He struck out 17 batters and allowed just one hit in the contest through eight innings pitched.
Tyler Flora | Record-Herald
CIRCLEVILLE — Not a location change, weather delay or extra innings could shake a determined Miami Trace Panther baseball team as they defeated the Circleville Tigers 1-0 on Wednesday night in a Sectional Championship game.
The game was originally scheduled to be played at Miami Trace High School, but field conditions caused the game to be moved to Circleville.
Then, the contest was delayed for nearly an hour once the fourth inning concluded as thunder and lightning were in the area.
Play eventually resumed with the score at 0-0, which was the score until the bottom of the eighth inning when Panther senior Brady Armstrong singled to score Gaige Stuckey and clinch the Sectional title.
Stuckey was virtually untouchable on the mound for Miami Trace in the win, striking out a remarkable 17 batters through eight innings pitched, while allowing just one hit and two walks on 116 pitches.
Router of Circleville pitched a solid game of his own in the loss for the Tigers. He worked 7.2 innings, allowing just one run on four hits with no walks and six strikeouts on 89 pitches.
The bottom of the eighth inning started with a pop out, before Stuckey reached on an error and advanced to second on the same error. Austin Brown couldn’t come up with his third hit of the night as he lined out to center field, bringing Armstrong to the plate with Stuckey at second and two away.
On the first pitch of the at-bat, Armstrong crushed a line drive into the gap in right-center field that would allow Stuckey to score and end the game.
The Panther dugout quickly and excitedly emptied as players and coaches celebrated with both Stuckey and Armstrong along the first base line.
Offensively for the Panthers, they recorded four hits, including two from Brown, one from Jameson Hyer and then the game-winner from Armstrong.
Miami Trace (15-8) advances to play in the District Semifinals on Tuesday, May 21 at Ohio University in Athens at 6 p.m.
The opponent is yet to be determined, as the game between Logan Elm and Sheridan was postponed until Thursday night.
A video of the game-winning hit and celebration can be found on the Record-Herald’s Facebook page.
