BASEBALL: Quick start, homers by Smith keep Indians rolling into Sectional championship

As ugly as the first three and a half innings of Wednesday's Class 2A Baseball Sectional semifinal were for the Harrisburg Bulldogs, the final three and a half innings were nearly as hideous for the Du Quoin Indians.

But as they've done time and time again over the course of their current winning streak, Du Quoin found a way to get it done, hanging on for a 9-6 victory - their twelfth straight - behind a monster game at the plate by senior A.J. Smith, who belted a pair of homers to help lead the Indians into the Sectional championship game on Saturday. Two other seniors - Jacob Valier and Levi Brening - combined to work the pitching rubber with Valier getting the victory, his second this postseason.

"He showed up big," DHS head coach Tim Craft said of A.J. Smith. "We've said all along you win with seniors this time of year, and he showed it today. Jacob showed it giving us four-plus pretty good innings, then Levi came in and closed the door. We've just got to keep that foot down and keep on hitting, keep on giving our pitchers some opportunities to get outs."

The Indians led 9-0 after the top of the fourth inning and seemed to have the game well in hand before the Bulldogs mounted an impressive comeback, bringing the tying run to the plate in the sixth inning. The hole they'd dug themselves into was just too big.

"We competed, we fought back," said Harrisburg head coach Jay Thompson. "We just missed too many opportunities in the first three innings to get a two-out hit. We had base runners everywhere early in the game and we couldn't score. It goes 4-0, 7-0, 8-0, 9-0 - we could not throw up a zero at any point in there, and I knew once we did we'd be fine, but it took us five innings to put up a zero."

Du Quoin's scorching-hot bats burned the Bulldogs and starting pitcher Sykes Thompson almost immediately. Ethan Keller started the game with a double in the top of the first inning and scored on a sharply-hit ground ball by A.J. Smith that ate up the second baseman for either an infield single or a very tough error. Brening then walked, Brock Bullar flew out to center, Braden Lee was hit by a pitch, then Ryne O'Rourke came through with a two-out RBI base hit in what turned into a four-run frame for the Indians.

In the top of the second, Cole Hopkins led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by Valier, who came in moments later on A.J. Smith's first long ball of the day to make it 7-0 Du Quoin.

"The kids were real aggressive early in the game," Craft said. "We got some pitches to hit, and we took advantage of some walks."

Ashton Smith singled home Lee in the third to make it 8-0, then A.J. Smith went deep again over the relatively shallow right field wall in the fourth for the Indians' ninth run. A.J. Smith, who bats left-handed, said he's seeing the ball well after getting past a pair of tough lefty hurlers in the Regional, and credits the team's focus for their recent hot streak.

"Seeing a short porch like that, I kind of think about pulling it a little bit more and getting a good swing on the ball," said A.J. Smith.

"We've just been focusing a lot better. We've been staying locked in, working in practice and getting better each day, that's been the biggest thing."

But after that home run, Harrisburg hurlers Bryce Emery and Matthew Phipps shut Du Quoin down for the final three and two-thirds innings, giving the Bulldogs' offense at least some hope of getting back into the ball game.

"I don't want to say we let up, but we stopped hitting all of a sudden," said Craft. "Credit their pitchers with making an adjustment, and their defense with making some plays behind them too."

Valier worked out of jams in each of the first three innings, but surrendered a three-run homer to Phipps in the bottom of the fourth that brought in Emery (double) and Britton Riden (walk). The damage was limited by a fantastic sliding catch near the wall by Hopkins, the DHS left fielder, on a ball hit by Noah Vallette with a pair of runners on base.

"If that ball gets down, that's a two-run double or triple right there," said Craft. "Instead he makes the play and we're back in 9-3 with a little bit of confidence still going."

Thompson agreed that the play by Hopkins played a crucial role in the game's outcome.

"That's usually the difference in a sectional game," Thompson said. "Somebody on one of the teams is going to make a tremendous defensive play and turn the game around. The kid made the play when he had to."

Carson Batts singled to start Harrisburg's fifth, then Aaron Johnson walked with one out, ending Valier's day on the hill. Brening came in and allowed both inherited runners to cross - one on a passed ball, the other on a wild pitch - and suddenly the Bulldogs had made a game of it at 9-5.

Austin Hefner tripled with two outs in Harrisburg's sixth and scored when Vallette reached on an error, then Batts singled to bring Emery to the plate as the tying run.

Brening got a ground ball to first base, though, ending the threat, then retired the side in order in the seventh to advance the Indians. The right-hander was efficient enough with his two and two-thirds innings on the mound that Craft said he feels confident in starting him in the Sectional championship on Saturday.

"Levi buckled down and got it done when he needed to," said Craft, "and the defense made some plays behind him too. He only threw about 28 pitches. The biggest thing with him is if he's throwing down in the zone, he can work fast. He did a good job and he got to get on the mound that he's going to throw off of on Saturday, so a little bit of familiarity will help too."

Eight Indians combined for eleven hits in the game - Keller (1-4, R, 2B), Valier (1-4, R, RBI), A.J. Smith (4-4, 3 R, 4 RBI, 2 HR), Brening (1-3, R, BB), Lee (1-1, 2 R, 2 BB, HBP), O'Rourke (1-3, RBI, BB), Ashton Smith (1-4, RBI) and Hopkins (1-3, R, 2B). Valier gave up four earned runs on seven hits and six walks with two strikeouts in four and a third innings, Brening was charged with just one unearned run on a pair of hits.

For the Bulldogs (23-13), Phipps (1-4, R, 3 RBI, HR), S. Thompson (1-4), Hefner (1-1, R, 3B, 2 BB, SAC), Batts (3-4, R, 2B), Emery (1-4, R, 2B) and Cooper Thompson (2-4) hit safely.

Du Quoin (25-10) awaits the winner of Thursday's 4:30 p.m. semifinal at the Nashville Sectional between the host Hornets and Carmi-White County. The championship game on Saturday is scheduled for an 11:00 a.m. first pitch.