Early deficit too much for West to overcome in state loss to Jackson

Lakota West High School’s baseball squad found ways to win close games throughout the Division I postseason, making its way to the Final Four for the third time in school history.

But a 4-0 first-inning deficit against the No. 1 team in the state? That was simply a recipe for the end of the season.

The Firebirds gave up four runs before they swung a bat Friday in a state semifinal against Massillon Jackson and Kyle Nicolas pitched a three-hitter as the Polar Bears secured a 5-1 victory at Huntington Park.

PHOTOS: Greg Lynch’s gallery from the game

“We made an unbelievable run. We just didn’t have enough left in the tank today,” West senior pitcher Jacob Kates said. “They were the better team. They hit. They did everything right. Give credit to the Nicolas kid. He pitched a hell of a game.”

Frankie Schmitt’s RBI single plated the lone run for the Firebirds in the fifth inning after Eric Hooper doubled.

Chase Wullenweber’s fourth-inning single was the only other hit for West, which finished 25-6.

“We worked our butts off and finally made it here. It’s just sad it had to end this way,” said Schmitt, a senior second baseman. “We shocked a lot of people and that was our motto all year, so we’re proud of ourselves for our season.”

Firebirds coach Greg Leurck said the positives will far outweigh the negatives when this season is recalled.

“They were just better than us today,” Leurck said. “We can’t hang our heads. The guys got better and better as the year went on. We’re very proud of them.

“We told them they should walk out of here and thank their parents, thank the people that came to support them and keep working the way you have. Keep banding together with teammates or with classmates or with people you work with and you’ll be successful throughout your whole life.”

Kates has been a hammer all year, so it was an unfamiliar sight watching him get hit around in the first inning.

The first four batters reached base (three on singles, one on an error after a sacrifice bunt) and came around to score, and Jackson had four hits in the inning.

With Nicolas on the mound throwing consistently in the upper 80s and low 90s, that margin seemed enormous.

“We just wanted to have very intentional at-bats,” Polar Bears coach Bill Gamble said. “Every at-bat mattered, and you saw that early. We threw some away in the middle and left our plans, but credit to them. They made some really good plays.”

Kates said he wasn’t sharp in the first inning and Jackson (29-2) was “just making me pay for my mistakes.”

“They hit the crap out of the ball,” Kates said. “I wasn’t throwing as hard as I normally do, but I think towards the middle of the game I started finding my offspeed more. I started locating my fastball and my offspeed better and my changeup was working more, so I was able to get them a little bit out in front and not squaring as many balls up.”

The right-hander retired 11 straight batters during one stretch before Dillon Dingler’s third hit of the day drove in Nick Harrison to make it 5-1 in the seventh.

“They had a whole lineup that could swing the bat and get on base,” Leurck said. “Jake, I give him credit, he pitched his butt off from the second inning on. For us to make up that deficit, we needed some breaks to go our way, and they didn’t go our way today.”

“What a good pitcher,” Gamble said of Kates, who’s headed for High Point University. “He really settled in well and put a lot of zeroes up. They’ve got a really good team. You saw them compete all the way down to the end.”

Kates had three strikeouts and a walk in his eight-hitter and allowed two earned runs. Nicolas contributed a two-run single and Jack Dear drove in a run for the Polar Bears.

Nicolas, a senior right-hander who will play collegiately at Ball State, struck out seven and walked one on the hill.

“(Nicolas) was juiced to be here and ready to compete,” Gamble said. “He’s been looking forward to this start for a while.”

Nicolas had not given up a run in the tournament until Schmitt delivered his solid RBI hit to right-center field in the fifth.

“He’s good … he was throwing gas,” said Schmitt, who will attend the University of Cincinnati, but won’t be playing baseball. “I don’t think I saw any offspeed, so I don’t know how good that was. I got a first-pitch fastball and just jumped on it.”

Kates said he won’t forget his last season as a Firebird.

“We all really wanted to make that last little run, but I don’t think anybody would’ve expected us to be here in this situation,” Kates said. “We’re all blessed and thankful for that opportunity to get to play here.”

West junior catcher Keegan Fish, who’s been sidelined all year with a knee injury, got a chance to pinch-hit in the seventh inning and walked.

Jackson will face Strongsville for the state championship on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Mustangs edged Olentangy Orange 3-2 in Friday’s second semifinal.

Jackson 400-000-1—5-8-1

Lakota West 000-010-0—1-3-2

WP — Kyle Nicolas (8-0); LP — Jacob Kates (10-2). Records: J 29-2, LW 25-6

About the Author