Cincy Christian wins first district title

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By Skip Weaver, Staff Writer Updated 9:48 PM Saturday, May 23, 2009

CLAYTON — Micah Parker is proving to be a clutch hitter for the Cincinnati Christian baseball team.

With the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning, Parker singled in the game-winning run as the Cougars won their first Division IV district championship with a 3-2 victory over Fort Loramie, the 2007 state champions and state semifinalists last year, on Saturday, May 23, at Northmont High School.

“It was a big pressure situation,” said Parker, whose sixth-inning, three-run home run lifted CCS to a sectional championship on Tuesday.

With the score tied 2-2, Matt Fleenor singled to start the Cougars ninth. Mike Diatte sacrificed him to second and then a hard ground out by Avery Sneed moved Fleenor to third.

Fort Loramie coach Bill Sturwold then intentionally walked both Josh Lanphier and Brian Kirschbaum to load the bases.

After fouling off a couple of pitches, Parker got one he liked.

“It looked high and inside,” Parker said of the fastball from Jay Schulze. “I was just able to put the sweet spot of the bat on it.”

The hit, his second of the day, went through the gap between shortstop and third base and jubilation ensued in the third-base dugout.

“Any time you play a program of that caliber, it’s a privilege,” CCS coach Bill Lanphier said. “You hope you show up and give them a good game, and I think we did today.

“How appropriate for Parker to get this one because it was his hit (in the sectional finals) that got us here,” he added.

The Redskins (21-9) struck first with a lead-off double by Schulze and an RBI single by Mitch Raterman in the fourth inning, but the Cougars (16-5) retaliated in the bottom of the frame for two runs on doubles by Sneed and Kirschbaum and a fielding error.

Kirschbaum went the distance for the Cougars to improve to 6-1. He also helped himself at the plate going 1-for-4 with a double, and RBI and a run scored.

Fleenor was 3-for-4 and scored the game-winning run, and Chris Gortner was 2-for-4.

Cincinnati Christian advances to the regional semifinals where it will play Reading at 2 p.m. Thursday at Huber Heights Wayne High School.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2852 or sweaver@coxohio.com.

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