High school baseball: Jacob Krausher makes most of second chance against Perkins, leads Vermilion to SBC title

PERKINS TWP. — Jacob Krausher bided his time after Vermilion's loss to Perkins in an important Sandusky Bay Conference Lake Division game a couple of weeks ago. He got his satisfaction Friday in the form of a brilliant 2-0, one-hit shutout at Sports Force Park. "Before the game, we were in the locker room and we were hyped up," said Krausher, a hard-throwing senior right-hander. "This is probably the biggest game this season. If we had lost, we had to share (the conference) with them. We win this one and we win Monday, it's our SBC title." Krausher was dominant. The only hit he he gave up was a one-out bloop single by Ben Keller in the second inning and he retired 17 of the next 19 hitters, struck out 11 and allowed only three batters to reach base. The win assures the Sailors (15-5, 9-2 SBC) a piece of the conference crown. Perkins (10-7, 7-4) had beaten the Sailors 3-0 on their home field with Krausher's own baserunning mistake and wild pitch looming large in the outcome. Ironically, the teams played again in Perkins' area, but time at the Cedar Point's Sports Force Park because Vermilion's field was too wet after the heavy rains the past couple of days. "It was tough through the (fourth)," Krausher said. "I knew my team would have my back. They always get the bats rolling and that's what they did to win a big game like this." Krausher was surgical in his approach. He changed speeds and worked both sides of the plate. "Before the game, I made sure I had all of my pitches," he said. "My slider, fastball, changeup ... and I could work the corners. As long as I can have all that control in a game, it's hard for (the opponent) to hit." Back-to-back triples by a couple of Ethans started Vermilion's fifth inning, which proved to be the turning point. Ethan Hendrickson lined a triple to the gap in right-center to start the inning and scored on Ethan Young's opposite-field liner down the first base line for the only run the Sailors would need. With two out, Young scored on Nick Werth's ground ball that was bobbled for an error. Werth had tripled with two out in the third but was left stranded and Krausher doubled to start the second inning but was unable to score. "We played a great ballgame," Vermilion coach Jeff Keck said. "I told them before the game, I felt like they hadn't played their best game yet. We're due and we did. "(It was) a great game on defense. Jake pitched a great game, very few baserunners for Perkins. We were able to put a couple back-to-back triples together from the Ethans. It was just a well-played game." Perkins didn't make good contact often but when the Pirates did, Werth was able to track them down in center field. "That's the best pitching performance against us this year by far," Perkins coach Chris Walton said. "I think we found three barrels the whole game and they made the plays on all three." Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7135 or timothygeb@msn.com