OHSAA Regional Semifinal
Mechanicsburg 6, Huntington 0
For the first time in school history, the Mechanicsburg Indians are headed to a Regional Final after a dominant 6-0 shutout victory over Huntington at Beavers Field in Lancaster on Wednesday afternoon.
The story of the night was senior ace Conner Eyink.
Hunting the strike zone from the opening pitch, Eyink turned in one of the finest performances of his career. The right-hander tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just four hits with no walks while striking out 11 Huntsmen. He threw 95 pitches, an incredible 75 of them for strikes, and never allowed Huntington to generate sustained offense.
Eyink also got things started offensively for the Indians. He lined the first pitch he saw in his opening at-bat into right field for a two-out single in the first inning, though Mechanicsburg was unable to cash in.
After Eyink retired Huntington in order in the bottom of the first, the Indians broke through in the second.
Bodee DeLong led off the inning with a single and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Liam O’Laughlin. Drew Lawhorn then hit a sharp ground ball to third that was difficult to handle, allowing him to reach safely while DeLong crossed the plate for a 1-0 Mechanicsburg lead.
The Indians threatened for more after Colt Salyers reached on an error, but Huntington escaped further damage.
Meanwhile, Eyink continued to cruise.
He worked another perfect inning in the second and recorded his first strikeout of the game to end the frame.
Mechanicsburg added to the lead in the third. Eli Wilson drew a walk and Eyink followed with a single before DeLong delivered an RBI single to left field, bringing home Wilson and extending the advantage to 2-0.
Eyink was beginning to find another gear as well. He struck out two of the three batters he faced in the third inning and completed a perfect trip through the Huntington lineup.
The Indians manufactured another run in the fourth.
Avery Foss drew a walk and later came around to score with two outs when Wilson lifted a two-strike pitch into center field that dropped for an RBI double. Courtesy runner Ethan Hodge scored easily to make it 3-0.
Eyink answered with two more strikeouts in the bottom half and remained perfect through four innings.
Mechanicsburg continued to apply pressure in the fifth.
Bodee DeLong collected his third hit of the game to lead off the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt from Landon DeLong, and scored moments later when Lawhorn lined an RBI single into right field for a 4-0 lead.
Huntington finally broke up Eyink’s perfect-game bid in the bottom of the fifth when Landon Lowery dropped a bloop single into shallow center field. It didn’t matter.
Eyink calmly retired the next three batters and preserved the four-run advantage.
The Indians delivered the knockout punch in the sixth.
Foss opened the inning with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Crew Lafary. After a balk moved Foss to third, Huntington elected to intentionally walk Eyink. The decision nearly worked until Eyink stole second during Hank Huffman’s at-bat, putting two runners in scoring position.
With two outs, Huffman made the Huntsmen pay.
The sophomore lined a two-run single into left field, scoring both runners and stretching the Mechanicsburg lead to 6-0.
Huntington put together one final threat in the sixth with a pair of two-out singles, but Eyink struck out the side to end the inning and slam the door shut.
After a quiet seventh inning offensively for the Indians, Eyink returned to the mound looking to finish what he started.
Fittingly, he bookended the final frame with strikeouts, recording the final out himself and sending Mechanicsburg to its first-ever Regional Final.
Eyink finished 2-for-4 at the plate and was brilliant on the mound, throwing a four-hit shutout with 11 strikeouts and no walks.
Offensively, Bodee DeLong led the way with a 3-for-4 performance, scoring twice and driving in a run. Lawhorn added two hits and two RBIs, both coming on run-scoring singles that plated DeLong. Foss and Eyink also collected multi-hit games, while Huffman’s sixth-inning single produced the final two runs of the night.
Now 22-3, Mechanicsburg advances to the Regional Final on Thursday at 6 p.m. with a trip to the State Final Four on the line.
Standing in the Indians’ way is a ferocious powerhouse: Berlin Hiland. The Hawks enter at 23-4 and have won four consecutive state championships, including last year’s Division VI title and the previous three Division IV crowns before Ohio expanded to seven divisions.
One more win, and the greatest season in Mechanicsburg baseball history will continue all the way to Akron.
