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Penn Swings Way Past Zionsville, into State Championship Game

June 11, 2017

By Steve Krah

PBR Indiana Correspondent 

KOKOMO — Penn’s ability to “swing it” helped the Kingsmen punch their ticket to the IHSAA State Finals for the fifth time. 

“We put the ball in play,” Penn coach Greg Dikos said after his team piled up 10 hits, including four for extra bases in beating Zionsville 6-2 to win the Class 4A Kokomo Semistate. “We knew their pitchers were very good. Not overpowering, but they hit their spots and they changed their pitches well. And they did that today. Our guys were disciplined. We went with the ball. I was very proud of the way we attacked the ball. 

“We work the count better than anybody.” 

The Kingsmen (27-6) left the turf at Kokomo Municipal Stadium avenging last year’s 8-5 defeat to the Eagles at the same site and will now take on Indiana Cathedral (28-0) either Friday or Saturday, June 16-17, at Victory Field in Indianapolis. 

In four previous State Finals appearances (1994, 1998, 2001, 2015), Penn has come away with the state title each time.  

“I”m really happy for these guys,” Dikos said. “We’ve had our ups and downs this season. For us to stay together the way we have is a tribute to the seniors.” 

Zionsvillle, a state runner-up in 2016, finished 2017 at 22-12. 

Zionsville (22-12) 

Penn strung together stellar defensive plays in the second and third innings. 

Senior second baseman Matt Kominkiewicz ranged near the right field line to snag a pop fly off the bat of junior Stephen Karis for the first out in the second.  

Kominkiewicz then started an inning-ending double play, stopping a hot grounder, getting the force at second base and then firing to first to also retire senior Chad Garisek. 

The Zionsville third opened with Kominikiewicz making a diving catch of a line drive by junior Tyler Milby.  

Right after that, junior right fielder Payton Kerr made a sliding catch to take a hit away from senior Michael Rocco. 

The Kingsmen scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning. 

With one out, senior Ryan Lau doubled to right field and scored on Waite’s triple to right. 

“We stayed (opposite field) with them,” Lau said of Penn’s hitting approach on the day. “We knew they liked to hit the outside corners. The big thing was going with what they gave us.” 

Kominkiewicz lashed a single to left to plate senior Trevor Waite. 

Senior Niko Kavadas rapped double to center that drove in Kominikiewicz. Kavadas was out on the play after the run scored. 

Zionsville junior Riley Bertram led off the fourth inning with a double to left and junior Nick Nelson drew a two-out walk. But they were both left stranded. 

Penn got a sliding catch in foul territory by left fielder Waite for the second out and sophomore left-hander Kameron Koch (win; 5 innings, 2 runs, 5 hits, 3 walks, 1 strikeout) coaxed an infield pop-up for the third out. 

Glove gems continued with the Eagles on the field in the bottom of the fourth frame. 

Third baseman Garisek made a back-hand stop and junior first baseman Sam Edgell made a tag to get senior Nolan Metcalf for the first out. 

A running catch near the left field line by junior left fielder Kyle Callahan got freshman Ryan Lynch for the second out. 

Garisek led off the Zionsville fifth with a single to left and No. 9 hitter Rocco drove in Garisek with the first Eagle run. 

Also in the fifth, Zionsville cut the gap to 3-2 when Milby (who singled to left) scored on a sacrifice fly to center by junior Kyle Richardson. 

Senior right-hander Max Bohrer (1-plus innings, 3 runs, 3 hits, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts) relieved senior right-hander Eli Copner (loss; 4 innings, 3 runs, 5 hits, 0 walks, 1 strikeout) on the mound for the Eagles to start the bottom of the fifth. 

Lau led off for Penn. After being struck by a Bohrer pitch, he moved to second and third on a sacrifice bunt by junior Nate Vargo and right-side groundout by Waite and scored on a wild pitch for a 4-2 lead. 

Zionsville catcher Karis threw out a would-be base stealer to end the inning. 

Junior right-hander Chase McKenzie (2 innings, 0 runs, 0 hits, 1 walk, 0 strikeouts) spelled left-hander Koch on the mound for the Kingsmen to begin the sixth. 

(Koch’s) got a nice fastball that tails away,” Dikos said. “His curve ball comes in there as a floater. A lot of times he’ll go down and in on righties. He gets a lot of hit-by-pitches. Today, he kept his cool and his calm. He mixes his pitches well. He doesn’t try to do anything that he can’t do. He stays within himself. 

“It was nice to get a different look with Chase McKenize in there. He came in a shut them down.” 

After Kavadas singled to left and Metcalf doubled to right to start the Penn sixth, junior right-hander Nick Brier (1 inning, 0 runs, 2 hits, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts) relieved Bohrer with no outs and runners and second and third. 

Lynch followed with a sacrifice fly to deep center to score Kavadas with the Kingsmen’s fifth run. 

Junior Nate Lovisa drilled a two-out RBI single to left to plate sophomore Brock Boynton (running for Metcalf) with a sixth Penn tally. 

“(Penn) was a very good hitting team,” Zionsville coach Jered Moore said. “The report we had on them was accurate. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t execute at the times we needed to. 

“Our kids hit the ball. We just needed more balls dropping. When we took the outside pitches and went the other way, we hit it hard but it was just at somebody.”

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