Hagerstown defeated Seton 2-0 to win the Class 1A Sectional on May 30.
RICHMOND, Ind. – Mission accomplished.
As Hagerstown’s Sam Reagan was one out away from finishing Monday’s Memorial Day Class 1A Sectional championship game, he had one thought.
“I’m doing this for my brother (Eli),” Reagan said. “He’s in the army. He’s coming to watch me in the regional. I’ve got to do it for him.”
Sam Reagan
Reagan got the job done to lead Hagerstown to a 2-0 victory over Seton at McBride Stadium as the Tigers won their ninth title and first since 2013.
“We had our heads in the game the whole time,” Reagan said. “We just knew if they gave me one or two runs, then I’ve got their back and they’ve got mine.”
Over seven innings, Reagan allowed five hits and he struck out a dozen including three in the final frame.
“He’s been working for this moment for four years,” Hagerstown Head Coach Brad Catey said. “I’m sure that he’ll want it next Saturday. We’ve just got to come play our game.”
The Tigers (20-4) advance to Saturday’s Carroll (Flora) Regional to face Pioneer (23-4) at 11 a.m.
Pioneer used a 10-run fourth inning on Monday to post an 11-8 victory over Rossville to punch its ticket to the regional. The other semifinal participants will be determined Monday night. Saturday’s championship game is scheduled for 8 p.m.
All Reagan really needed was run from the group that is calling themselves the “7, 8 and 9 Gang” in the second inning.
“They’ve got so much confidence right now,” Catey said of the bottom of Hagerstown’s batting order. “They’re going to find a way to get it done and they did it again for us.”
Cody Wilson, the No. 6 batter in the Hagerstown line-up, apparently was looking to join the club as he singled to begin the second.
A pair sacrifice bunts became critical for the Tigers in the inning even though the plays ended in fielder’s choices.
On the attempt by Trent Weiss, there was an error by Seton and that put runners at first and second. Cam Purtha reached base on his bunt to extend the inning despite a runner being thrown out at third.
A wild pitch moved Weiss to third during at bat by Trey Kelley and the stage was set.
“I knew a fastball was coming,” Kelley said. “I just wanted to put the ball in play and get that runner home.”
Kelley succeeded and gave the Tigers a 1-0 advantage.
The game stayed that way until the bottom of the sixth when the Tigers picked up the final tally of the contest.
Mason Hicks doubled to drive in Dylan Woolard with the second run of the affair.
Seton had two runners on base in the top of the seventh, but Reagan was able to work out the jam to preserve the championship.
This was the first sectional win in Class 1A for the Tigers, who have won championships in 1969, 1980 and 1987 before claiming Class 2A honors in 1999, 2000, 2006, 2007 and 2013.