Indians Hold Off Clarke County, 4-3, in Region 2B baseball

Fort Defiance used a strong starting effort by lefty Tripp Hanger to hold off Clarke County 4-3 in the Region 2B quarterfinals on Monday.

Hanger, who worked out of the bullpen for most of the season, has emerged as the Indians big-game pitcher in recent weeks.

With regional seeding on the line late in the season, Fort head coach Damian Fink gave the ball to Hanger when the Indians travelled to Riverheads. The lefty worked four solid innings in a 4-2 victory over the Gladiators.

“Tripp earned his shot with the way he pitched at Riverheads,” said Fink. “Coach (Derrick) Cook, he’s the pitching coach, was ready to roll Tripp out again. Tripp had known for a week that he was going to start today. He was focused and ready to go. He was dominant.”

The Indians took the early lead with a run in the first. Hanger led off the bottom of the first with a walk and courtesy runner Lance Fridley stole second. Fridley scored when Landon Powell’s grounder was misplayed for an error.

Hanger made one of his few mistakes on the mound in the second when Caleb Erickson launched a towering two-run homer to left, giving the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

“It was a change-up,” said Hanger. “Just left it up in the zone.”

The Indians responded in the bottom of the second to tie the score. With two outs, Hunter Hamer doubled over the centerfielder’s head. After Garrett Simmons walked, Hanger lined a single to right, scoring Hamer to knot the score at 2-2.

Fort took the lead in the bottom of the sixth with a pair of runs. Noah Dulaney led off the inning with a ground-rule double to right. Indians’ catcher Carter Berry hit a grounder to third and the throw across the diamond short-hopped the first baseman and bounced out of play, allowing Dulaney to score the go-ahead run. Hamer lined a run-scoring single to left, scoring pinch-runner Fridley to make the score 4-2.

The Eagles did not go quietly in the seventh against reliever Tyler Miller. With two outs, Jake Reichert singled and Brady MacDonald walked. Fox followed with a single to center, scoring Reichert to make it a one-run game. Aiden Wagner then hit a chopper to short. Hamer charged the grounder and a tricky bounce sent the ball off Hamer’s glove. The ball bounced into the air and Hamer bare-handed it and threw on the run to first to record the final out.

Hanger pitched 5.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits. He struck out five and walked two. “My curve ball was really working and the change-up was on. I had a little trouble locating the fastball, but overall, I thought I pitched pretty well,” said Hanger.

Fort managed just four hits, two by Hamer. Hanger and Hamer each drove in a run.

The Indians advance to the semifinals on Wednesday when they travel to Strasburg with a trip to the state tournament on the line. 

The Indians and Rams played early in the year, way back on April 1, when Strasburg won 4-1. “Strasburg beat us here early, but everyone was beating us early,” Fink said, referring to Fort’s 0-5 start to being the season. “We’ll be ready. These guys just keep fighting.”

The Indians, now 13-7, have won eight in a row with several of the games decided in the late innings. “We’ve been through it all year with a lot of tough, close games,” said Hanger. “We’ll keep battling.”