PLEASANT HILL – In just five years of WOAC baseball, the Newton–Arcanum matchup has become a fixture in the conference title race. The Trojans have claimed three of the first four league crowns, with Newton and Arcanum sharing the inaugural championship.
So it was no surprise that two of the best arms in southwest Ohio, regardless of division, went head-to-head again.
Arcanum sent senior right-hander Regan Christ to the mound, while Newton countered with senior Austin Tippie. Both feature lively fastballs in the upper 80s and sharp breaking balls. Christ entered the game 2–0 with wins over Versailles and Covington and 27 strikeouts. Tippie came in 1–0 after Newton’s annual Florida trip against larger schools, designed to harden the Indians for WOAC play.
Tippie looked dominant early, striking out the first two Trojans he faced. But catcher Bryce Kramer worked a walk to keep the inning alive.
Then lightning struck.
Senior Colton Quigney turned on a Tippie fastball and launched it over the left-field fence for a two-run homer—his first career home run—and what would prove to be the game-winning blow.
Before the at-bat, Arcanum coach Randy Baker had a simple message for his hitters:
“Just get your bat on the ball. He’s (Tippie) providing all the power, so use it by making contact.”
Quigney did exactly that.
“Actually, after I hit it I didn’t know where it went,” Quigney admitted. “I thought it was just like a little shot to the outfield, but then running to first, I saw coach Rench’s face light up and then I knew it was gone and I was like, ‘All right, that felt really great.’”
Baker understood just how big that swing was.
“We knew this was going to be a pitching duel, and we were really struggling to see the ball there,” Baker said. “I mean, he struck out the first two and throughout the game he mowed us down, only giving up two hits. So when Bryce walked and Quigney hit that homer, it was big. Hat’s off to Tippie—he threw a great game.”
The early 2–0 lead was crucial, but Arcanum still had to defend it for seven innings. They leaned on Christ’s right arm and just enough defense behind him.
Newton’s leadoff man Cole Alexander immediately tested the Trojans, driving a deep shot to center. Senior outfielder Derek Longstreth turned and ran it down over his shoulder near the fence, robbing extra bases and keeping the momentum in Arcanum’s dugout.
From there, Christ went to work.
The senior fired a complete game five-hitter, striking out 14. Through three outings and 18 innings this season, Christ now has 41 strikeouts to lead the league.
Newton threatened in the fourth. With one out, Rhett Koffer and Tippie laced back-to-back singles, bringing the tying run to the plate. Christ responded by striking out the side, slamming the door on the rally.
Arcanum added an insurance run in the top of the fifth. Junior Caleb Baker drew a walk, and a few batters later Longstreth delivered an RBI single to push the lead to 3–0.
Newton kept battling. In the bottom of the sixth, Alexander singled with one out and moved to second on a passed-ball strikeout. Tippie then scorched a line drive, but Trojans third baseman Ethan Kearney snared it, turning away another potential scoring opportunity.
The Indians mounted one last push in the seventh. Will Bowser led off with a single to right, but Christ notched a strikeout for the first out. Brooks Flory followed with a grounder to Kearney, who recorded the out at first on a fielder’s choice while Bowser moved to third.
Junior Brady Pleiman then singled to left, putting runners on the corners with two outs and the tying run at the plate.
Christ, fittingly, finished what he started, recording his 14th strikeout to lock down a key 3–0 WOAC victory for Arcanum.
Despite the loss, Newton coach Jordan Kopp saw plenty to like from his ballclub.
“That was a big play for them early on to get that ball out, that’s a momentum thing,” Kopp said.
“Then we come back out and first batter we smoke the ball and they make a diving catch, keeping the momentum. But that’s the game of baseball—they get the big hit and deny us the big hit,” Kopp added.
“But our kids never quit. You know, we got out of jams. We got guys on base, and we out-hit them five to three. But we struck out too many times. You have to give credit to Randy, his staff and their team. Regan’s a really good pitcher, and he showed it tonight. Not too often in small school baseball do you see two of the top arms in the area, so this was good baseball.”
In the end, the difference was razor-thin: one walk, one swing, and one ace who refused to let go of the lead. If this game is any indication, the WOAC race will once again run straight through Arcanum and Newton—two programs built on strong pitching, timely hitting, and the kind of big-game moments that players like Quigney and Christ thrive on.
