PARMA — The “been-there, done-that” boys from Hillsdale found a way to get there and do it once again.
Spearheaded by an opportunistic offense and a late-inning uprising, the Falcons overcame a 5-2 deficit Tuesday against Mapleton in an all-Ashland County Division IV district tournament showdown at Cuyahoga Community College’s Ron Mottl Field.
The 9-6 triumph sends third-seeded Hillsdale into its third consecutive district championship game at the same site 5 p.m. Thursday against fifth-seeded Ashtabula St. John.
The 12th-seeded Mounties (11-9) came into the day 8-3 over their last 11 games and toting their first sectional title in a decade.
But after Mapleton surged ahead 5-2 in the top of the fifth inning — keyed by a bases-clearing double from Kollin Cline — the Falcons (16-10) came alive to tie it at 5-5.
Hillsdale then scored four more run in the sixth inning to pull away.
“We’ve played in a lot of district championship games through the years, some regional games with some of these guys,” Hillsdale coach Jason Snow said. “They didn’t panic, but if we go through that fifth inning and don’t score, there’s a little more pressure building.
“It was nice that we answered there.”
The Falcons struggled to build momentum early against Mapleton junior ace Tyson Welch, who bobbed and weaved his way through the first four innings, allowing two runs while stranding five HHS baserunners.
But after Cline’s clutch double down the left-field line plated three runs — and Welch’s ensuing RBI single scored Cline to make it 5-2 — Hillsdale went to work manufacturing a comeback.
Singles by Owen Hoffman and Braylen Jarvis (3-for-3, 3 RBIs, 2 runs) started the rally in the bottom of the fifth, then the right-handed Welch gave up two walks and hit a batter.
That seemed to break open the dam for the Falcons, who scored four more in the sixth off MHS reliever Cole Vermilya.
After an error to open the sixth allowed Hillsdale ace pitcher Jack Fickes to reach base, Brock Bower and Hoffman drew back-to-back walks and cleanup hitter Jarvis smacked a two-run double to the fence in right-center.
“I think the heat was making it hard on the pitchers and they just struggled locating the ball,” Mapleton coach Aaron Welch said. “That’s a lot more walks than we’ve had pretty much all season.
“The kids fought to the end, they played hard. We just had a couple walks at the wrong time.”
With Cline leading the way behind a 4-for-4, 4-RBI day and scoring the Mounties’ other two runs, MHS outhit Hillsdale, 10-8.
But the Falcons reached base a combined total of 10 times via either a walk, hit batter or an error, and five of those runners scored.
“We talked to our guys, after they walked some, about being more patient, waiting until they get a strike, not getting ourselves out on those pitches,” Snow said. “But we had some key hits in there, guys had to get on base, and we took advantage.”
Already committed to play on scholarship at the University of Rio Grande as a junior, Welch authored a phenomenal spring that saw him enter Tuesday with a 7-1 record and just three earned runs allowed over 44.2 innings pitched. He carried a microscopic 0.47 ERA and 72 strikeouts into the game, but the Falcons found ways to reach base and cause problems.
Both teams had five runs, seven hits and an error through five innings, but Fickes put together a critical sixth frame on the mound. The senior right-hander allowed a leadoff single to Gabe Wrobleski, but retired the next three batters to close out his day.
Gavin Casdorph closed it out with a one-run seventh.
Fickes threw 53 strikes on 74 pitches, allowing eight hits and three earned runs while striking out five.
“I kind of lost my control, but I tried to limit the damage,” said Fickes, who improved to 5-3 on the season. “Jarvis always does a good job of keeping me calm (at catcher).”
The two-RBI double in the sixth inning from his battery mate — Hillsdale’s only extra-base hit in the game — was an added bonus.
“Jack’s always been our guy; this whole year he’s done things right,” Jarvis said. “Today he struggled a little bit, so I had to let him know, ‘Hey, you’ve done your job on the mound, I’m going to pick you up in the box.’ ”
The Mounties finished with a winning record for the third time in four seasons under coach Welch, tying for third in the Firelands Conference (9-5).
Welch admitted it will be a hard pill to swallow losing a talented senior class that includes Cline, Vermilya (single, 2 runs), Zack Wrobleski (single), Lane Dreibelbis (run), Keeton Ables (RBI single), Gavin Manion and Abe Sayre.
Snow said he was glad the Falcons had a four-run lead when facing Cline in the seventh. His big day helped him finish the season with a batting average above .430 and an on-base percentage near .600, along with 23 runs and 20 RBIs.
“We started slow and it took a little bit to get going (this season),” coach Welch said. “We were playing decent ball towards the end of the season. Hillsdale’s a pretty good team and we hung with them.”
Snow said he was happy someone was advancing to represent Ashland County in the tournament.
“I’m glad it was us, but if they would have won, they would have been deserving,” Snow said. “I would have rather played them in the next game with one of us going on to the regional.”
The Falcons now face St. John, a team that toppled McDonald in Tuesday’s earlier game, 12-2 in five innings, and won its sectional final by an 11-0 count over Medina Christian in five innings. The Heralds (16-5) have won 15 of 17 after a 1-3 start.
But Hillsdale has been here before.
After their 28-4, state runner-up finish in 2019, the Falcons have totaled 83 wins over the last four seasons and seem to be finding the right gear once again.
Seven different players scored for HHS on Tuesday, with Jarvis and Owen Hoffman both scoring twice and Aiden Hoffman chipping in a single and a pair of RBIs.
“We’ve had a few slip-ups here and there,” Jarvis said, “but the tournament is where it really matters and we’ve picked up the bats and are playing pretty good.”