WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
The Mount Vernon Yellow Jackets had a tremendous regular season, winning the Ohio Cardinal Conference and getting a 5 seed in the District Tournament. Mount Vernon had 20 wins coming into the District Semifinal game Tuesday night vs 18-11 Olentangy Liberty and it was a three run first for the Patriots that doomed the Jackets in a 5-3 loss. A pair of walks to start the game for the patriots in the top of the first before a strikeout of Parker Van Engelenhoven got the Jackets first out. McCafrey Tatum came through with an RBI single. Nick Vittorini then got hit on the helmet causing him to go down but loading the bases for the Patriots. Landon Hunter than hit a chopper to second the out was recorded at second but a run scored and on the throw to first to try and complete the double play the ball was dropped at first allowing another run to score to make it 3-0 Patriots going to the bottom of the first.
The Jackets went quietly in the bottom of the first with a ground out to shortstop, a strikeout and a ground out to third. The Patriots got back to back baserunners in the top of the second but a second strikeout of Louisville bound Sophomore Van Engelenhoven got OCC Player of the Year Konnor Daughriety out of the jam for Mount Vernon. The Jackets got back to back walks to start the bottom of the second before Isiah Columber struck out and Caden Thiebert lined out to second which started an incredible double play to get the Patriots out of the jam.
Both teams went 1-2-3 in the third. In the fourth the scoring started back up as the Patriots added to their lead. The Patriots got a lead off single from Zach Meyer and Andrew Leonard followed with a two out RBI single to make it 4-0 Patriots. The Jackets would respond however. Daughriety got the Jackets first hit to start the 4th and reached second on a balk before eventually scoring and Kayden Packard reached on an error and came around to score. The Patriots added a single run in the 5th on an RBI double by Leonard and the Jackets got a run in the 7th but fell 5-3.
Leonard went 3-3 with a walk 2 RBI and a run scored for the Patriots and Meyer scored two runs and had 2 singles.
Daughriety finished his career 2-4 with two singles and a run scored. He pitched 5 innings allowing 4 runs on 4 hits.
The Jackets still haven’t been to a District Final since 2010.
Brady Bonacci picked up the win for the Patriots going 6 innings allowing 2 runs on 6 hits, he struck out 6 hitters. The Patriots play Dublin Scioto who upset Pickerington Central in a District Final this Thursday, that game with be at Grove City High School.
