Jackson baseball team edges Lindbergh, advances to Class 5 quarterfinals

Cameron Duke's bat wasn't getting the job done. So he decided to use his body.

Duke managed to get hit in the elbow by a pitch with the bases loaded in the top of the seventh inning to force in the lead run, and the Jackson baseball team held on for a 2-0 victory over Lindbergh in a Class 5 sectional Wednesday in front of a packed Whitey Herzog Stadium.

Jackson (22-10) advances to a state quarterfinal against Eureka (23-4) at 4:15 p.m. today at Herzog Stadium. Lindberg finishes its season at 20-10.

Duke's unconventional RBI broke up an entertaining pitching duel between Jackson's Michael Houchin and Lindbergh's Ben Kelsch. Both went the distance, with Kelsch allowing just three hits while walking five and striking out 12. Houchin did Kelsch one better, allowing just two hits while walking three and also fanning 12.

Jackson players dog pile on the field after defeating Lindbergh 2-0 in their Class 5 sectional, Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at Whitey Herzog Stadium. (Laura Simon)

"It really just shows how gritty our kids are, how tough they are and how resilient they are," said Jackson coach Bryan Austin. "They're just refusing to lose right now."

Both teams had opportunities to take early leads, only to be turned away by brilliant pitching from each team's hurler. Jackson loaded the bases in the top of the first inning, but Kelsch induced an inning-ending groundout from Jarrett Newell that culminated an 11-pitch at-bat.

In fact, Jackson left six batters on base through the first three innings. After that, the Indians failed to threaten until the top of the seventh.

"Early on, we had great opportunities, just couldn't get it done at that point," Austin said. "We were facing an excellent arm on the mound. [Kelsch] is a big-time kid, and we knew it was going to be one of those games where it's a tough baseball game. We're going to have to play really well and do the little things right. Early on, we didn't do the little things right. But when it counted, we did at the end."

Although the Flyers couldn't manage a hit off Houchin until the fifth inning, they did put runners in scoring position in the second, fourth and fifth. In the fifth, John Murphy laid down a two-out bunt single and stole second. But Houchin snuck a called third strike past John Hoevelmann -- his third strikeout of Lindbergh's leadoff batter -- to end the threat.

Jackson's Michael Houchin celebrates a strike-out to end the top of the sixth inning of the Indians Class 5 sectional against Lindbergh, Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at Whitey Herzog Stadium. Jackson won 2-0. (Laura Simon)

"I realized my defense would have my back, no matter what," said Houchin, who was pitching on four days rest. "I felt good, and I was going to give it all I got. Fastball and curve ball for sure [were working], and I mixed in a slider. Everything was working."

Jackson sophomore catcher Colten Weber led off the top of the seventh with a swinging bunt, the ball rolling slowly toward Kelsch, who came off the mound late and unleashed a hurried throw to first. Lindbergh first baseman Dennis Yingling couldn't handle the short hop, and a hustling Weber was safe on the error.

"I was just looking to hit the ball, anywhere, get it in play, make contact," Weber said.

Courtesy runner Tristan Thiele replaced Weber at first and advanced to second when Tyler Slinkard walked. Ryan Harvey worked the count full before striking out on a low curve. The ball bounced in front of Lindbergh catcher Derek Renner, who tagged Harvey while both Thiele and Slinkard moved up one base. Jon Schumer -- who had two of Jackson's three hits on the day -- was intentionally walked to load the bags and set up a force at any base.

That brought up Duke, who was 0 for 1 with a pair of walks in the game. The first pitch from Kelsch was inside, and it grazed Duke's elbow as the Jackson third baseman turned away from the pitch, forcing in Thiele.

Fans take in a Class 5 sectional between Jackson and Lindbergh, Wednesday, May 27, 2015, at Whitey Herzog Stadium. Jackson won 2-0. (Laura Simon)

"Hey, I'll take it," Duke said with a laugh. "I saw it coming at me, and I just [flinched] away, and it touched my elbow guard. I didn't even notice it at first, honestly, and then I looked at it, realized it hit it and I looked back [at the umpire] and he said, 'Take your base.' Flung my bat, and it was 1-0."

Ben Maudie followed with a flyout to center that proved deep enough to score Slinkard from third, and the Indians led 2-0.

Maudie had nothing but praise for the job Kelsch did on the mound.

"He was good," the Indians senior left fielder said. "He located well. He had a really nice curveball, slider. He was locating three pitches very well. He was tough. But our approach today was to grind out at-bats, and that's what we did."

Kelsch proceeded to strike out Landon Mills to end the inning, but the damage was done. Houchin set down the Flyers in order in the bottom of the seventh to send the Indians to the state quarterfinal.

"It's tough," Lindbergh coach Darin Scott said. "Hats off to both pitchers, for sure. That's just a great high school baseball game. Both teams had opportunities to break it open with two outs, but great pitchers find a way to keep those balls in play.

"Unfortunately in high school baseball, games are lost and not won. You want it to be a clean game, and you want it to be a clean hit. But sometimes you've got to work your way around errors. You're not going to be perfect in high school baseball. The swinging bunt kind of stings a little bit, not getting an out there, but hats off to Jackson for taking advantage of the opportunities that they were given."

Jackson 000 000 2 -- 2 3 2

Lindbergh 000 000 0 -- 0 2 2

WP -- Michael Houchin. LP -- Ben Kelsch. 2B: Jon Schumer (J). Multiple hits -- Jackson: Schumer 2-3.