Nix outduels Black as Fenwick edges Franklin 1-0 in sectional baseball

Fenwick High School’s baseball team didn’t do a lot of hitting Wednesday, but Alan Nix generally doesn’t need much.

The senior right-hander tossed a six-hitter and paced the Falcons to a 1-0 victory over visiting Franklin in a Division II Dayton sectional opener between Warren County rivals.

“We’ve been in those games before, so I knew how to handle myself and not let it get to me and just play my ball,” said Nix, who struck out three and walked three. “I tried to pound the strike zone as much as I could, the infield made plays behind me, and I tried not to let ’em hit it too hard.”

PHOTOS: Nick Graham’s gallery from the game

The Wildcats’ Konnor Black went pitch for pitch with Nix, throwing a six-hitter of his own with three strikeouts and four walks.

The only run Black allowed came in the fourth inning when Alec Bush blooped a two-out RBI single that Franklin right fielder Logan Willis couldn’t quite come up with.

“We were battling back and forth in the heat,” said Black, a senior right-hander headed to Capital University. “A game like that, it’s not really nerve-wracking. You definitely get an adrenaline rush. It’s just fun to be out here and be able to play. It just sucks to lose.”

Thomas Vogelsang was 3-for-3 for the fifth-seeded Falcons, who improved to 15-7.

They’ll host No. 11 Madison, a 3-2 winner over No. 12 Alter on Wednesday, in a 5 p.m. sectional semifinal Thursday. Fenwick coach Chris Stratton said he’ll start Will Maier on the hill.

“My heart can’t take too many of those, good grief,” Stratton said. “It was a hard-fought game by both teams. I’m very proud of my guys.

“We’re built to make a run, and I think we can. We’ve got the pitching … we’ve got three seniors that we think can do it for us. We’ve got the defense. We’ve just got to hit. We’ve got to put the ball in play on the ground more. Half our outs tonight were pop flies. That’s too easy.”

Franklin (15-9), seeded seventh, stranded six runners and watched the Falcons turn three double plays.

It was this kind of day for the Wildcats: Evan Margerum drew a one-out walk in the seventh, and Clay Winstead came in to run for him. Before Nix threw another pitch, he picked Winstead off first base.

“My catcher gave me the sign, and (Winstead) was caught doing something,” Nix said. “It was very beneficial to us. It was very nice to get that easy out.”

“I still think he might’ve been in there,” Franklin coach Matt Current said. “My first base coach thought so, but you can’t give the umpire the chance to make that call.”

Austin Gilbert had a pair of infield singles for the Wildcats, who tripled their win total from 2016.

“I feel very, very good about this team,” Current said. “This was a great bounce-back year for us.

“We really struggled last year. We lost some leadership the year before and it showed last year. We were real young, and we’re still very young, but we had better leadership this year out of some seniors. I’m very, very optimistic about the group we have coming back next year.”

Fenwick left eight runners on base and also lined into a double play. The Falcons got no hits from the first four batters in their lineup.

Black and Nix only had one perfect inning apiece, but both went after batters and worked quickly all day.

“Our pitcher just battled and stuck in there, and Alan pitched a helluva game,” Current said. “He kept us off balance. He beared down when we got guys in scoring position. Good defense, good pitching … in a ballgame like that, that’s how you get it done.”

“Nix is a bulldog. He really wanted it,” Stratton said. “I wasn’t going to take him out unless he got in big trouble.”

The Madison-Fenwick winner will meet either No. 3 Waynesville or No. 14 Bellbrook for a sectional title May 18 at Eaton.

Franklin 000-000-0—0-6-0

Fenwick 000-100-x—1-6-1

WP — Alan Nix (5-1); LP — Konnor Black (4-2). Records: FR 15-9, FE 15-7

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