Roncalli wins extra-innings thriller, Class 4A state title

Will Harris is a slot receiver on Roncalli’s football team. He led the team, in fact, with 46 catches as a senior. But Harris isn’t known for his wheels. Just ask his quarterback.

“There’s so many jokes we make about Will being the slow guy on the football team,” Roncalli senior Robbie Strader said.

Harris was fast enough Friday night. Fast enough to secure Roncalli’s first Class 4A state baseball championship in a 3-2 nip-and-tuck, nine-inning thriller over top-ranked Zionsville in front of a Friday record 6,799 fans at Victory Field.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Strader said. “I’m still trying to figure out what happened.”

Football-baseball connection leads Roncalli to title game

What happened was Harris, Roncalli’s right fielder and No. 7 hitter, came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning (the second extra inning) with the bases loaded and two outs. Zionsville closer Jack Pilcher was on the mound, ahead with a 1-2 count. Senior Mark Cobb, pinch running for Jake Franklin, crept off third base.

Harris chopped the ball in the hole between the third baseman and shortstop. Zionsville third baseman Chad Garisek snared it but bumped into shortstop Riley Bertram. Garisek spun and made a strong throw to first. Harris beat the throw – barely.

“I tried to run as fast as I could,” he said. “I tried to move my arms as fast as I could. I tried to move my legs as fast as I could. I definitely know that I beat it. I was waiting for the throw to get there. I was waiting, waiting, waiting and I made it through.”

Harris, who is headed to DePauw to play football, said he didn’t need the first base umpire’s confirmation to know he’d made it.

“I knew right when I touched the base that the ball wasn’t there,” he said. “But then I turned around and I saw a whole swarm of Rebels. That was probably the best feeling I’ve ever had in my life. It was pretty awesome.”

The final score was Roncalli’s only lead of the game. But the Rebels stayed close all night behind the pitching of senior Michael McAvene, a senior who committed to Louisville on Friday, who allowed five hits and one walk over seven innings and struck out eight.

McAvene started the eighth inning but gave way to Conrad Daniel after allowing a leadoff single to Riley Bertram. A one-out error and intentional walk loaded the bases with one out. Cleanup hitter Nick Prather grounded to the shortstop Franklin, who fired home for the force play. Daniel got out of the inning with a flyout to keep the score tied 2-all.

McAvene and Daniel matched Prather and Pilcher, Zionsville’s aces, step for step.

Zionsville's arsenal of aces leads No. 1-ranked Eagles

“I knew I was going to have to go out and do my job just as well as they did theirs,” McAvene said. “It was going to be one of those grinder type of games.”

Zionsville struck first in the top of the fourth when Prather knocked a single up the middle on an 0-2 pitch to score Nolan Elsbury and make it 1-0. Roncalli tied it in the bottom of the fifth when Cody Smith walked to lead off. Pinch runner Brian Keeney advanced to third on Dylan Williams’ double to the left-field corner and scored on a one-out wild pitch. A strikeout and dazzling play by Zionsville second baseman Drew Bertram up the middle kept the score tied.

“It was a play here and a play there all night,” Bertram said. “That’s baseball. Both teams were making plays.”

Zionsville (30-5-1) took the lead in the top of the sixth when Jacob Hurtubise singled to lead off and went to third on a throwing error. Hurtubise scored on a wild pitch by McAvene to make it 2-1.

Roncalli evened it again in the bottom of the sixth. No. 9 hitter Hayden Harper walked to lead off. Two outs later, No. 3 hitter Nick Schnell rapped the ball deep to left center. Hurtubise, the center fielder, nearly tracked it down but it glanced off his glove for an RBI triple and tie the score at 2.

Roncalli (23-9) held Zionsville from there, setting up the ninth-inning heroics. After Harris’ hit, several Zionsville players fell to the grass in disbelief.

“It was a great game,” Zionsville coach Jared Moore said. “To have the season we did, to make it this far, it shows what kind of kids and ballplayers they are. It stings a little, but doesn’t take away from the season they had.”

Call IndyStar reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.