The postseason formula keeps working for the Kirtland baseball team.
Stay loose. Stay patient. Keep chipping away.
After falling behind by two runs early, Kirtland methodically battled back Friday night, scoring in three straight innings to defeat Hillsdale 5-2 and capture a Division VI district championship.
The Hornets improved to 18-8 and advanced to face Chippewa in a regional semifinal on June 3 at Louisville High School.
“It was a good win,” said Kirtland head coach Luke Smrdel. “We got behind a little bit early, and we just kind of chipped away at it, and got a few runs here, a few runs there, and ended up winning.”
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Hillsdale struck first in the opening inning after Zach Freeburg hit the leadoff batter, then surrendered a two-out RBI single following a walk.
The Falcons added another run in the second inning with a two-out RBI single to build a 2-0 lead.
But Freeburg settled in from there.
The Kirtland senior allowed just two hits over the final five innings and finished with a complete-game effort, striking out nine while scattering seven hits.
“I just really tried to paint the corners with my fastballs,” Freeburg said. “I probably threw 80 percent four-seam and two-seam fastballs, and then I threw in a couple of sliders and curveballs to throw them off a little bit. My defense was making great plays.”
Smrdel said Freeburg’s ability to work through trouble continues to set the tone for the Hornets.
“He pounded the zone,” Smrdel said. “He gave up a couple of free passes and hit a guy, but he worked through it. He’s got such good stuff, he can get through any inning, even if he’s challenged a little bit in the inning. He’s really consistent in there, and when he throws like that, he’s really tough to hit.”
Kirtland finally broke through in the bottom of the third.
Lucci Cantini led off with a single before Ben DiFranco followed with another hit. Jack Turk then ripped a run-scoring double to put the Hornets on the board.
Later in the inning, Noah Conner delivered a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 2-2.
The momentum quickly shifted.
“These guys play very loose,” Smrdel said. “They don’t really buckle under pressure. They were relaxed the whole game, and you could tell the other team started to press a little bit once we kind of got back into it.”
Kirtland took the lead for good in the fourth.
Sebastian Becker drew a leadoff walk, and Cantini followed with another free pass later in the inning. After DiFranco was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Turk worked a bases-loaded walk to force home the go-ahead run.
The Hornets added insurance in the fifth.
Nate Chuko reached on an error before Jackson Cramp walked. With one out, Xavier Lasecki ripped a two-run double to left-center, stretching the lead to 5-2.
Lasecki finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and a double, while Turk drove in two runs with a double and a walk. DiFranco added two hits and a run scored.
Freeburg closed the door in the seventh after Hillsdale put together two two-out singles. The senior responded with his ninth strikeout of the game to send Kirtland back to regionals for the second straight season.
“Last year, we saw the light at the top, and we want to be back there,” Freeburg said. “We know that whether it’s me or someone else throwing, we know we can do it. We want to make it to state.”
The Hornets will now prepare for a familiar regional site in Louisville, where many players gained experience during last season’s tournament run.
“The guys know it’s a long bus ride and they know they’ll need to stay focused,” Smrdel said. “They know the place pretty well because we played two games there last year and had the rainout day, so they’re kind of comfortable in the surroundings because they’ve been there before. Hopefully, we can get the job done on Wednesday.”
Line Score
HIL: 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 — 2 7 5
KIR: 0 0 2 1 2 0 x — 5 7 0
Top Players
- Zach Freeburg (Kirtland): 7 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 9 K
- Xavier Lasecki (Kirtland): 2-for-4, 2 RBI, double
- Jack Turk (Kirtland): double, 2 RBI, walk
- Ben DiFranco (Kirtland): 2-for-3, run scored
- Lucci Cantini (Kirtland): hit, run scored, 2 walks
