By Steve Krah

PBR Indiana Correspondent 

KOKOMO — Wapahani used a trio of three-run innings to earn its way back to an IHSAA state baseball championship game. 

The Raiders (19-11) plated three in the third, fifth and seventh on the way to beating Hebron 9-2 in the Class 2A semistate Saturday, June 10 at Kokomo Municipal Stadium. 

Wapahani was 2A state champions in 2014. 

“We put up some crooked numbers and took advantage of some opportunities,” Raiders coach Brian Dudley. “The kids got some big hits in those innings.” 

Hebron (29-4) left a runner at third base in the bottom of the first inning. 

Junior Logan Ryan drew one-out walk, stole second base and moved to third on a flyout, but got no further. Senior right-hander Alec Summers (win; 7 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts) stopped the threat with frame-closing strikeout. 

“We just didn’t get timely hitting,” Hawks coach John Steinhilber said. “We gave (Summers) a favor in the second inning got out on seven pitches. You can’t do that. You’ve got to suck it up and take some pitches. 

“This is high stakes. If you’re playing on a Wednesday, kids can settle in a little bit. We battled, but I would’ve liked to see us settle in a little better than we did.” 

Wapahani loaded the bases with one out in the top of the third inning and went on to score three runs. 

Freshman Braxton Davis led off with a single to right and later scored from third base on a wild pitch from senior right-hander Chad Patrick. 

Sophomore Drew Young lashed a two-out single to right field to plate junior Stephen Vickery (on base by infield single) and sophomore Garrett Stanley (single to left). 

Dudley saw his team make an offensive change after the first inning. 

“We were long and we were late (in our swings),” Dudley said. “We made the adjustment early.” 

Hebron tallied two runs in the third inning to cut the Raiders’ lead to 3-2. 

Senior Mark Martin reached base on a one-out infield single, moved all the way to third when senior Jake Everaert dribbled a single to a vacated hole on the right side of the infield and scored on an errant pick-off throw to first by Summers. 

Everaert trotted home on freshman Cade Woodward’s double to deep left-center. 

Wapahani turned a double play for the first two outs in the bottom of the fourth inning — junior shortstop Chandler Wise to second baseman Vickery to first baseman Young. 

The Raiders filled the bases with one out again in the fifth inning and scored three runs to push the lead to 6-2. 

Young and sophomore Brevan Rivers sandwiched RBI singles to third base and left field, respectively, around a sacrifice fly to the second baseman in medium right field from Summers. 

Vickery (single to center) scored on Young’s hit. Stanley (single to right) crossed the plate on Summers’ sacrifice fly. Wise (walk) tallied the sixth run on Rivers’ hit. 

Right-hander Everaert (2-plus innings, 3 runs, 1 hit, 1 walk, 1 strikeout) relieved senior right-hander Chad Patrick (loss; 4 2/3 innings, 6 runs, 9 hits, 1 walks, 4 strikeouts) on the mound for the Hawks with two outs in the fifth.

 Sophomore Tyson Lipscomb’s three-run triple with two outs in the seventh inning drove in Young (hit by pitch), Summers (fielder’s choice) and Davis (on base by error) and put Wapahani ahead 9-2. 

After Everaert removed from the field by the umpire (he was not “ejected”), senior right-hander Tyler Patrick took over as Hebron’s pitcher and retired the only batter he faced. 

Asked why Summers was effective on the mound for the Raiders, Dudley had a straight-forward answer. 

“This is a simple game,” Dudley said. “He throws strikes. That’s been his M.O. all year. If you throw strikes you’re going to be in the game.”