Quality pitching has propelled the Trinity High School baseball team all season, and nothing changed Thursday in a highly anticipated Seventh Region matchup.
Junior left-hander Brody Heil tossed a complete-game three-hitter and struck out three as the host Shamrocks beat Ballard 2-1 on Senior Night at Thurman Hutchins Park.
Heil joins senior Brett Marshall and junior Brandon Pfaadt as leaders of a Trinity pitching staff that sports a team ERA of 1.55. The Shamrocks have held 14 of their last 15 opponents to three runs or fewer, the only hiccup coming in a 10-0 loss to Lexington Catholic on May 7.
PHOTO GALLERY | Ballard at Trinity
“We’re deep,” Heil said of the Trinity staff. “I don’t know if anyone is better than us right now.”
Ranked No. 3 in the state by PrepBaseballReport.com, Trinity improved to 27-6-1 overall and 22-2-1 in its past 25 contests.
The Shamrocks, who will close their regular season Saturday at No. 9 Central Hardin, are 9-0 against Seventh Region competition this year.
“With the exception of the St. X game (a 10-0 Trinity win), they’ve all been close,” Shamrocks coach Rick Arnold said. “Winning these close games helps us get ready for those games in the district and the region.”
Jordon Adell, a junior who has committed to the University of Louisville, went 2 for 3 with a double to lead Ballard (18-12-1) at the plate. The Bruins had won 13 of their previous 15 games before Thursday’s loss.
“I think we’ve done a good job of getting ourselves in position to play good baseball,” said Ballard coach David Trager, whose team started the season 5-9-1 against a difficult schedule. “We’ve seen a lot of good things out of a lot of guys over the last 10 games. They’ve settled down and become the players we’ve known they could become.”
All of Thursday’s scoring came in the first inning, with Adell’s RBI single scoring Matt Lewis to give the Bruins a 1-0 lead in the top half.
Ballard starter Jordan Gunter walked four batters in the bottom of the first, with Matt Higgins scoring on a groundout by Marshall to tie the score at 1.
The key play came with the bases loaded and two out and A.J. Arnold at the plate. Arnold’s groundball was fielded by Ballard first baseman Haynes Routt, who threw to Gunter covering at first. But Gunter was ruled to have missed first base, allowing Riley Willbur to score for a 2-1 Trinity lead.
Trager argued that Gunter did not miss first base but ultimately blamed the walks as the difference in the first inning.
“We can’t argue too much about a call when we got ourselves into that position to start with,” Trager said. “Jordan has to learn he can’t keep getting himself into tough spots because he’s not going to be able to work out of it all the time.”
Ballard managed just three baserunners after the first inning. Adell doubled with two out in the sixth but was stranded when Broc Keurzi grounded out. Blake Frost led off the seventh with a single, but the Bruins couldn’t move him.
Heil improved to 5-3 with the victory and has learned how to compete on every pitch, Arnold said.
“He’s a funky lefty,” Arnold said. “He’s sneaky quick … and when he wants to he can run it in there pretty good. We’re still working with him on his location and being more precise. By the beginning of next year I expect him to be on a whole other level than where he is now.”
* Trinity sophomore catcher Ben Metzinger announced Sunday he has committed to the University of Louisville. He’s ranked among the top sophomore prospects in the state.
“Ben’s off the charts,” Arnold said. “He can stop a running game. … He’s a difference-maker.”
Jason Frakes can be reached at (502) 582-4046 and jfrakes@courier-journal.com.
BALLARD 100 000 0 – 1 3 2
TRINITY 200 000 X – 2 2 0
WP – Heil (5-3). LP – Gunter (4-4). 2B – Adell (B).