Lutheran runs its way to first IHSAA baseball state title: 'I wanted to prove how good we were'
INDIANAPOLIS – From the opening pitch, the Lutheran baseball team dictated the tone of Friday's IHSAA Class A state championship game against Kouts at Victory Field.
The Saints treat the baseball diamond like a fastbreak on the basketball court. They swing early in counts, they run at every opportunity, they take extra bases and force the opposition to make plays to beat them. They force teams out of their comfort zone, and love to capitalize on mistakes.
Leadoff hitter Nate Hughes doubled on the first pitch he saw, the Saints (21-10) scored three runs in the first inning and kept pouring it on, earning a 14-1 win over Kouts (27-7).
IHSAA baseball state finals: Scores, schedule, higlights
The victory gives Lutheran its first baseball championship. Eleven of Lutheran's 14 runs came on Kouts errors. The Mustangs committed six errors to Lutheran's four.
"(Kouts starter freshman Billy Miller) is 14, 15 years old. We have to speed him up," Lutheran coach Josh Meaney said. "He threw strikes, but we hit them. We hit him and we hit him hard, and that's what we've done all year.
"Not to be rude or mean, but I wanted to prove how good we were."
Owen Lecher started the scoring with an RBI single in the first. Gage Meaney, the coach's son, added a two-run double. Kouts scored one in the fourth inning on an error, but Lutheran answered with vigor in the fifth.
The Saints scored two on errors. Gage Meaney cleared the bases with a double into left field, and Austin Brandenburg stole home, capping a six-run inning. Lutheran scored five runs in the sixth, building a comfortable lead over the Mustangs. Meaney's five RBIs set a record for RBIs in a Class A championship game.
"It feels great," the younger Meaney said of winning the championship. "Bringing the first ever title back to Lutheran is great. I had some struggles at the beginning of the year, so I never thought I'd accomplish anything like that. I saw the ball really well today, and the Lord helped us out a lot."
Setting a record during a championship game seemed impossible for Meaney earlier this season. He injured his hamstring in early April and sat out for a week. He came back and struck out seven times in three games. His timing was off, and his confidence was low. Needing to find a way to bust his slump, Meaney raised his hands in his stance and eliminated his stride, allowing him to be quicker to the ball. He recorded five hits after the mechanical changes and developed into another offensive threat for the Saints.
Hudson Mills scored three runs for Lutheran. Hughes and Caleb Courtot had two hits each. Senior Ryan Redding earned the win on the mound. Redding went the distance, allowing one unearned run on two hits with six walks and seven strikeouts.
Redding entered the final inning 16 pitches below his 120-pitch limit. He forced a lead off ground out but hit the next batter. Facing his last batter, Landon Garrett, Garrett smacked a line drive to Masen Phelps at shortstop. Instead of catching the ball, Phelps dropped it on purpose, allowing him to flip it to Landyn Parker at second for a force out. Parker then had enough time to throw to first, doubling off Garrett and ending the game.
"I've been trying to find the words, surreal is the best way to describe it," Redding said of earning the win in the state final. "I couldn't have done it without my guys. ... I'm just happy I got to do it with my best friends.
"We practiced that play 1,000 times, the little drop and shove. It never actually worked but I'm glad it did (tonight). (Masen) is my best friend. I'll never get a chance to play another game with him, so I'm glad that's how it ended."
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