Published: May 16, 2008 11:47 pm            

Cumberland rallies past Marshall to reach regional championship

MARSHALL, ILL. — Cumberland scored five runs in the last two innings Friday at Marshall to defeat the host Lions 7-5 and earn a berth in today’s championship of the Illinois Class 2A Casey Regional for high school baseball.

The 14-10 Pirates will play either Casey or Georgetown-Ridge Farm at noon today at Marshall for the title. Casey took on Georgetown-Ridge Farm in the second game of the makeup doubleheader.

Friday’s rescheduled games were shifted from Casey to Marshall because of this week’s rain.

The Pirates used the long ball to rally twice from deficits and then scored three runs in the seventh to avenge an earlier 12-2 defeat to the Lions.

Kenny Flood broke a 4-4 tie with his third homer of the season to put the Pirates ahead with one out in the seventh. Winning pitcher Jeremy Jansen followed with a single.

Marshall reliever Trey Brashear retired the first batter to face him, but Indiana State football recruit Kye Butler cracked his sixth homer of the year and second of the week to put the Pirates up 8-5.

“Kye has been huge for us in the postseason,” said Cumberland coach Jim Miller.

Indiana State baseball recruit Kyle Burnam was up first for the Lions in the bottom of the seventh and singled for his third hit of the game. Tyler Shotts then walked, but Jansen retired the next two batters.

Losing pitcher Logan Eitel singled to score Burnam and keep the rally alive, but Jansen got a strikeout to end the game as he hiked his record to 6-0.

Eitel walked his only two batters in the third and both runners scored as Cumberland tied the count 2-2. The Pirates plated their other two runs in the sixth on Josh Rodebaugh’s hard-hit ball down the right-field line in a two-strike, two-out situation.

“That was the key for us. The momentum shifted for us. Our players never gave up and never hung their heads when they got behind,” said Miller.

The Lions put two runners on base in the first against Jansen but failed to score, then took a 2-0 lead in the second when Logan Eitel reached on an error to open the frame. They went up 3-2 in the third when Logan Eitel rapped a leadoff double and scored on a double by Nolan Schaefer.

Justin King homered in the fifth to give Marshall its 4-2 lead.

Burnam was 3 for 4 for the Lions as they finished 19-6. Logan Eitel and Schaefer both were 2 for 4 with their doubles.

Jansen was 3 for 4 for the Pirates with a double and Ben Sherrick also was 3 for 4.



Cumberland 002 002 3 — 7 9 1

Marshall 021 010 1 — 5 10 1

Jansen (W, 6-0) and Sherrick; Lo.Eitel, Brashear (7) and Shotts. L — Eitel. HR — King (M), Butler (C), Flood (C).

Next game — Cumberland (14-10) will play for the regional championship at noon today against either Casey or Georgetown-Ridge Farm at Marshall. Marshall finished 19-6.

        

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