Brandywine’s Nicholas Bailey applies a tag to a Schererville runner during Tuesday’s quaterfinal game. Schererville defeated Brandywine 26-4 and then advanced to today’s title game with a 7-1 win over Harris. (Daily Star photo/AMELIO RODRIGUEZ)

By AMELIO RODRIGUEZ

Niles Daily Star

The host team from Brandywine got all it wanted and then some from the Northern Indiana state champion team from Schererville in the Ohio Valley Regional quarterfinals Tuesday at Firemen’s Youth Park, losing 26-4.

Schererville came into the game as the No. 1 seed, based on runs allowed, but it was the runs scored that was the most impressive on this day.

Brandywine went down in order in each of the first two innings as it saw itself fall behind 2-0 in the first inning, but managed to keep the team from Schererville off the board in the second inning.

Trailing 2-0 in the top of the third, Brandywine started to get a little momentum of its own as it got runners on second and third with one out.

However, it only managed to get one run across the plate and trailed 2-1 heading into the bottom half of the inning.

That’s when every cliché in the book became applicable to Brandywine’s fortunes in the next half inning.

Phrases like ‘they hit a wall,’ ‘they ran into a buzz saw,’ ‘the wheels fell off,’ ‘the bottom dropped out.’

You get the picture.

In the bottom of the third inning, Schererville sent 30 batters to the plate, had 24 of them cross home plate safely and left the bases loaded to end the inning. That brought the score to 26-1.

Brandywine came to bat in the top of the fourth inning knowing it was in trouble, but the kids never gave up. They kept their chins held high and came out swinging.

Jacob Ruelle led off the inning with a single and Toby Fox reached on an error. Max Douglass then reached on an error, scoring Ruelle. Nicholas Bailey drove the ball to the opposite field for a double to the wall scoring Fox. Nathan Kemp then reached base safely, scoring Douglass.

The Brandywine “rally” would come to a halt with a double play to end the game, eliminating the host team from the tournament with a record of 2-3.

Schererville advanced to play Harris Township in the second semifinal, a rematch of the Northern Indiana state title.

Semifinals

Lexington…10

Newburgh…1

A pair of three-run innings helped lift Southeastern Lexington to a 10-1 win over Newburgh, Ind. in the first semifinal on Tuesday afternoon.

Lexington grabbed a 1-0 lead in the first inning and then scored three runs in the second to open up a 4-0 advantage.

A run in the third and three more in the fifth turned the game into a rout.

Southeastern Lexington added two runs in the sixth to complete the scoring.

Newburgh’s lone run came in the third inning.

Austin Dick struck out three and allowed just three hits as he earned the victory for Lexington.

Chandler Dunn paced a 10-hit Southeastern Lexington attack with a pair of singles and a double.

Jackson Beerman added a single and a double, while C.J. Bush also doubled.

Kyle Payton finished with two hits for the tournament’s No. 2 seed.

Kainen Bibb, Ben Wilcoxson and Beerman all drove in runs.

Brandon Eades had a double for Newburgh, while Payton Mills and Noah Brown both singled.

Colin Osborne took the loss for Newburgh. He struck out a pair.

Schererville…7

Harris Township…1

After both teams scored a run in the opening inning, Schererville exploded for four runs in the second and never looked back in advancing to the title game today at 10 a.m.

Schererville tacked on a run in the fourth and sixth innings to cap the scoring.

Ben Nisle had two hits and three RBIs to lead Schererville offensively.

The Northern Indiana representative finished with 11 hits.

Devin Moseley singled twice, doubled and drove in a run, while Bo Hofstra added a single and an RBI.

Jarrett Lopez finished with two hits, as did Parker Bryant.

Hofstra was the winning pitcher as he struck out three, did not walk a batter and allowed just two hits.

Kyle Henke, Trevor Waite and Andy Migas all had singles for Harris.

Waite also drove in a run.

Migas suffered the loss for Harris. He struck out three.

Quarterfinals

Lexington…18

Germantown…7

In a close game through the first three innings, Southeastern Lexington was able to break the game open with a five-run fourth inning.

Lexington led 3-2 after one inning of play and 6-2 after three and a half innings.

A four-run bottom half of the third by Germantown, Ind. tied the game at 4-4.

After scoring five in the fourth, Southeastern Lexington added two in the fifth and five more in the sixth.

Germantown scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, but could not mount a game-winning rally.

Bigg allowed four hits in earning the victory on the hill for Lexington.

Bush had the biggest night of anyone in the tournament as he hit three homeruns and drove in nine runs.

Dunn had three hits and an RBI, while Kaelen Covington also had three hits.

Wilcoxson added a double and two RBIs. Bibb doubled, tripled and drove in a run, while Dick had a pair of hits. Beerman contributed a double and an RBI.

Peyton Hood had three singles, a double and and RBI for Germantown, which also got two hits and an RBI from Brandon Flora.

Austin Black singled, doubled and drove in a run. Alex Hood, Neal Hancock and Michael Hardy all singled and picked up an RBI.

Newburgh…6

Geneseo…3

Two three-run innings proved to be just enough for Newburgh to advance to the semifinals.

Newburgh scored three times in the first and three times in the fourth and then held off the Southern Illinois champions.

Geneseo scored three times in the opening inning as well, but could not dent the scoreboard the remainder of the contest.

Brown had a trio of singles and an RBI for Newburgh, which also got two hits and an RBI from Osborne.

Max White and Mills both singled.

Eades earned the victory with two strikeouts and just one hit allowed.

Jacob Pauley had a double to lead the Geneseo offense.

Jordan Jackson, Marshall Rice, Keaton Rice and Dylan Pardoe all had singles.

Sam Thomas took the loss.

Once again, due to the rule that prohibits teams from playing three games in a single day, tournament officials were forced to extend play another day at Firemen’s Park.