AFTON – Good thing G-MU has a short memory.
The Raiders were bludgeoned by Afton and Cherry Valley-Springfield at the end of the regular season by a combined 29-10. One week into the playoff season, G-MU has avenged both of those losses, and beat number three seeded Afton, 7-3, to reach the Section IV, Class D semifinals.
“I’ve been coaching 20 years, and I think we’ve beaten Afton maybe one time, but never in the playoffs,” said G-MU skipper Jim Johnson.
G-MU dropped three of four games entering the postseason, one of those defeats a 16-6 loss to the Crimson Knights. In that contest, the Raiders’ pitching staff struggled to get Afton hitters out. Friday, G-MU senior hurler Alex Schmidt consistently worked out of jams, and in 6 1-3 innings, had just one one-two-three inning. He struck out six, walked four, and gave up seven hits in a clutch performance.
“The first time we played them, we pitched our third and fourth guys most of the game,” said G-MU catcher Corin Todd. “It was good to get a feel for their batters, and we knew they had good hitters.”
Todd said that Schmidt worked the corners with his fastball, and mixed in a curveball to keep Afton’s hitters off balance. “Their pitcher did a great job with what he had, and he kept his team in the game,” said Afton coach Ron Rapp.
Much like a first-round win over CV-S, G-MU jumped on the opposing pitcher in the opening inning. Two infield errors in the opening inning and a single by Andrew Delmar set up Todd’s two-run single to put G-MU on the board. Brendan Zucchi followed Todd with a two-run homer to left-center off Afton pitcher Mike Muller for the four-run lead.
“It was big for us to get off to a good start, and Alex was able to get out of the first inning relatively easy,” Johnson said.
Afton left a runner in scoring position on base in the first inning, and the Knights had Paul Hamilton and Dylan Wilson in scoring position in the second with one out. Schmidt subsequently fanned the next two batters to end the threat.
DeMario Reed reached on an error to start the fourth, Delmar singled, and Todd followed with his second two-run single upping the margin to six runs.
Afton was poised to threaten in the fourth after Adam Rupakus singled to left, and moved into scoring position on an error. Corey Mohrein singled in Rupakus as Afton finally solved Schmidt. Hamilton flew out to centerfield, and then Wilson hit a bouncer to Ian Edwards at second base. Edwards flipped the ball to Delmar for the first out, and Delmar gunned the ball to Jon Scofield for a timely inning-ending double play.
Afton started the fifth with back-to-back singles; however, that potential rally was squelched when Reed flagged a Cam Oswald flyball, and then fired to second base to double off Knights baserunner Brandon Stevens.
Afton made one last threat in the seventh when Mark Viviano walked, moved to second on a passed ball, and eventually scored a single by Joshua Davey. On the play, Davey was caught in a rundown between first and second base, and was tagged out by Edwards for the first out of the inning. After Oswald walked, Schmidt was lifted for Delmar, who got the final two outs of the game.
