Last season, the Hiland Junior Little League team made quite an impression, winning the District 4 title and then laying waste to all comers at State. This seasons edition hopes to do the same thing.
Hilands 13 and 14 year olds won the District title in come-from-behind fashion, having been bumped to the losers bracket 8-6 by North Canton. It would face the same team in the finals, having to claim a pair of victories to advance, and with workmanlike precision, got the job done, winning at North Canton 17-4 in an ugly walk-marred game that saw North Canton hurlers walk 19 Hiland hitters, and a well-played 7-3 victory in which Grant Stutzman was nearly dominant.
Hiland got a 10-run third inning at North Canton on all of two hits and North Canton imploded, handing the Hawks a 17-4 win in the semi-final. A tight strike zone made it tough on all pitchers, but Hiland skipper Tom Gibson said that Sheldon Mullets ability to remain calm paid big dividends.
It was a tight strike zone, but it was tight for both teams, said Gibson. I thought Sheldon did a remarkable job of maintaining his mound presence in the face of adversity.
The final contest for a State berth was much more entertaining. The Hawks jumped out to an early 4-0 lead, then scored two more in the third to take a 6-0 lead. Hiland tacked on a seventh run in the bottom of the sixth to take a 7-0 advantage when Bryce Mast scored Jordan Yoder with a single.
Meanwhile, Grant Stutzman was producing a dominating performance, shutting out North Canton for six innings on six hits. Stutzman ran into trouble in the seventh, giving up four hits and three runs, but big Anthony Miller came in to slam the door shut, inducing a harmless pop up to send the Hawks to State play at Maumee.
That was as dominant as I have ever seen Grant, said coach Paul Mullet.
For Hiland, the opportunity to step out of the shadow of last years team to carve out their own destiny is something they have looked forward to doing.
These kids deserve everything they have earned, said Gibson. We worked them pretty hard for a couple of weeks preparing for this, and their work and tremendous attitude definitely paid off. Its a super bunch of kids who have come a long, long way in a very short time.
Hiland will now move on to State to take on the winner from District 2, located on the eastern border of Ohio. Regardless of who it is, Mullet said the team will prepare as they have for the past two weeks, with hard work and commitment, and whomever they play doesnt matter.
We dont have a kid who is going to hit three home runs in a game, but we do have a smart, tough group, and Ill take our chances at Maumee, said Mullet. This is an exciting opportunity for these kids, and they are all very deserving of being where they are today.
