MASON – The Arcanum Trojans saw a remarkable season come to an end Tuesday afternoon with a regional semifinal loss to the Columbus Academy Vikings.
The Vikings struck first, plating a run in the bottom of the first inning and appearing to seize the early momentum. Arcanum answered in the top of the third and briefly swung the game in its favor.
Bishop Cartwright led off the inning by being hit by a pitch. Landon Brewer followed with a line-drive single to center field, moving Cartwright to second. Regan Christ then stepped to the plate and drove a hard-hit ball past the left fielder for a two-run double. Christ later advanced to third on a groundout by Derek Longstreth and scored on a Caleb Baker groundout, giving the Trojans a 3-1 lead.
Things appeared to be trending in the right direction for Arcanum, but Columbus Academy answered with a run in the bottom of the third to cut the deficit to 3-2.
The Trojans threatened again in the fourth when Ethan Kearney singled to lead off the inning. However, Viking pitcher Cooper Leibas settled in and struck out the next three batters to end the threat.
In the bottom half of the inning, the game changed dramatically.
A combination of timely hitting, fielding miscues, and throwing errors allowed the Vikings to erupt for eight runs in the inning, creating a deficit the Trojans could not overcome.
“We had a good response there. We got three runs. Loved the energy there. Just couldn’t get outs. We had six hit batters, two base on balls and three errors. That happens in any game and you’re going to struggle to be in the game. Very proud of the guys. They didn’t quit,” Arcanum coach Caleb Baker said.
The Trojans entered the game with a pitching plan that relied on multiple arms. Ace pitcher Regan Christ did not take the mound after throwing 97 pitches in Friday’s district championship game.
“Regan threw 97 pitches on Friday. We weren’t going to bring him back today. Maybe tomorrow, but he’s got a future to play college baseball. We weren’t going to throw him there and damage his arm or anything like that. We thought we had a good plan for them. Just couldn’t execute,” Baker said.
While the loss marked the end of the season, it does little to diminish what this senior class accomplished.
The Trojans will say goodbye to Regan Christ, Cole Kessler, Kolten Quigney, Bryce Kramer, Derek Longstreth, and Ethan Kearney. The group leaves behind one of the most successful seasons in school history, finishing with a program-record 23 victories against just five losses while posting a perfect 11-0 record in WOAC play.
“Great leadership out of these guys. Commitment and work ethic, we talk about how hard they work. Not just on the field but in the weight room. They do a great job there. Very proud of those guys,” Baker said.
Baker also pointed to the adversity his team faced throughout the season.
“We had some tough luck too. We lost a player who transferred out, Jace Mote, our center fielder, tore his ACL in basketball, and right before the tournament started Bryce Kramer broke his ankle. There were no excuses. They weren’t looking for an excuse. They battled through it and it was next man up,” Baker said.
The Trojans finish the season as WOAC champions, district champions, and owners of the winningest season in program history. While Tuesday’s result was not what they had hoped for, the accomplishments of this team and senior class will be remembered for years to come.
