Monday’s 5-0 win against Heritage was big in several ways for the Winder-Barrow High School baseball team.
It not only put the Diamond Doggs a big step closer to the state playoffs, it also put coach Brian Smith’s team in position to possibly start thinking about more than just qualifying for the postseason.
WBHS could possibly even host a state series if things work out down the stretch, Smith said.
Monday’s win was big as the Bulldoggs benefited from a pitching gem from sophomore Taylor Keinat, who threw 102 pitches during his complete game effort.
Keinat, who had already shown he could be effective in an earlier matchup against region contender Madison County, kept the Heritage batters in check all day allowing just five hits while striking out six.
He allowed a leadoff double in the top of the fourth but then worked out of that jam by getting a fly to center, and back-to-back strikeouts.
“He has no fear,” Smith said after the game. “He came out for baseball a little late after finishing wrestling season. Tyler has shown what he can do for us.”
Monday’s contest was a classic pitcher’s battle for the first four innings as Keinat and Heritage’s Anthony Bazzani matched each other pitch for pitch.
The Bulldoggs finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth plating all five of the game’s runs. Max Pentecost led off with a single followed by a sacrifice bunt from Clint Spratlin.
An RBI double by Jeremy Donaldson broke the scoreless deadlock.
Dustin Dunagan added an RBI single to right field for a 2-0 lead and Keinat then helped his own cause with a RBI single. Josh Ellerbe then made Heritage regret its decision to intentionally walk Kevin Wolf to face him by delivering a two-run RBI single for a 5-0 lead.
The five-run advantage would be more than Keinat would need as the WBHS pitcher had settled into a smooth routine by this point.
