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Concord beats Warsaw for Class 4A Elkhart Sectional title

June 3, 2014



By Steve Krah
PBR Indiana Correspondent

ELKHART — Concord got out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the sixth inning and went on to earn the program's fourth IHSAA baseball sectional title and the first since 2009.

The Minutemen (15-15) nipped Warsaw 2-1 Monday, June 2, to take the Class 4A Elkhart Sectional at Elkhart Memorial High School.

Senior right-hander Nick DeFreese scored the first run and pitched into sixth inning before junior right-hander Brenden Curry worked out of trouble and picked up a sectional-clinching save.

"That was the turning point," said Concord coach Jim Treadway, who saw Curry relieve DeFreese with two runners on, walk the first batter he faced then got a strikeout (on a third-strike foul-tip bunt), force out and strikeout.

DeFreese gutted through shoulder pain then gave way to Curry and his sore back. Even while doubled over in pain at times, Curry refused to leave the mound.

Treadway relayed his conversation with the right-hander who had picked up a semifinal win against Northridge Saturday, May 31.

"You want to come out?,' said Treadway to Curry.

Curry's answer: "No. I want to win this thing. We're not getting beat. We're not getting beat."
Treadway had infielders move on to the grass and brought his outfielders way in.

"They were going to have to hit it over our heads," said Treadway.

"I would have done the same thing," said Warsaw coach Mike Hepler. "If I'm in that situation, I don't go down easy either. I'm going to put the pressure on defensively."

Concord picked up one run each with all four of its hits in the first two innings off Warsaw starter Tyler LaFollette.

"Tyler settled down after the second inning," said Hepler of the junior right-hander. "He was just kind of zipping along.

"He's a quality kid, a great competitor. I know it burns him that he lost the game. It's just tough."

With two outs in the Concord first, DeFreese rapped a single and scored on Curry's double.

In the Minutemen second, senior Jake Vernon socked a lead-off triple and senior pinch-runner Trevor Wilmore trotted home on junior Brett Austin's single.

Warsaw led 1-0 early. senior Justin Oberlin led off the game with a double, went to third base on junior Ethyn Bradley's sacrifice bunt and scored on senior Caleb Heckaman's single.

"I thought we blew it in the third inning when we had first and second with no outs and our 3, 4, 5 guys up," said Treadway. "I thought we could bust it open there."

Concord was to play Lake Central in the first semifinal of the regional. The second semifinal will pit Hobart against the winner of the Plymouth Sectional (Because of rain, Penn plays South Bend Clay on Tuesday, June 3).

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