Oakwood baseball clinches Vermilion Valley Conference championship

By Fred Kroner

All eight Oakwood seniors were in the starting lineup on Monday (May 8) as the Comets clinched the Vermilion Valley Conference championship at home with an 8-0 win over Georgetown-Ridge Farm.

Oakwood ended conference play with an 11-0 record.

Dalton Hobick, Matthew Miller and Joshua Ruch all stroked two hits for the Comets. Ruch and Bryson Marcinko each scored two runs.

Hobick knocked in three runs. Miller and Ruch both had two RBI.

Luke Wallace and Travis Tiernan combined for a four-hit shutout. Tiernan entered in relief and pitched the final 6 2/3 innings, matching his season’s high with 10 strikeouts.

Tiernan, who issued two walks, is 9-0. The appearance was the ninth in a row for Tiernan without allowing an earned run.

The Comets’ seniors are Cristian Esquinca, Dalton Hobick, Matthew Miller, Bryson Myers, Grant Powell, Joshua Ruch, Travis Tiernan and Luke Wallace.

On Tuesday (May 9), the Comets battered Covington, Ind., 11-2.

Hobick and Tiernan each collected two hits. Miller scored three runs. Tiernan had two RBI.

Alec Harrison pitched four innings and did not allow an earned run or a walk. He fanned four batters and captured the win. Powell worked three innings and also did not permit an earned run or a walk. He recorded one strikeout.

On Wednesday (May 10), Oakwood overpowered the Tri-County JV team, 13-3. Marcinko pitched four innings without yielding an earned run or a walk and was the winner. He struck out five hitters.

Brody Taflinger threw the last two innings and struck out three.

Hobick was 3-for-5 with three runs scored and three RBI. Chase Harrison, Powell, Taflinger and Cort Vermillion all totaled two hits.

Harrison tallied four runs. Vermillion scored twice.

Oakwood (23-6-1) returns to action on Saturday (May 13) with a doubleheader against Champaign Central.