CLARKSVILLE — Providence beat Eastern and Henryville to win its ninth sectional championship in 16 years.

The Pioneers got standout pitching performances from Ryan Mueller in the opener and Jon Davis in the 4-1 win over Henryville in the championship game to take the title.

“The both filled up the strike zone,” Providence senior catcher Drew Campbell said, “and we played good defense behind them.”

The title was also Providence’s third in the last four years and its 15th in program history. But it was the one the Pioneers didn’t win that motivated them.

Eastern — Saturday’s semifinal opponent — upset the Providence 6-5 in last year’s championship game.

“Sometimes when you lose a championship, you’re motivated to go and get it back,” Providence manager Scott Hornung said. “This year was a little more urgent. We thought we could get it done, but thinking it and doing it are two different things.

“I’m happy for our seniors. They earned their championship.”

The Pioneers will face the champion from Linton-Stockton — either North Central, Sullivan, Eastern Greene or the host Miners — in the opening round of Saturday’s Southridge Regional.

“It’s all icing on the cake the rest of the way,” Hornung said. “I think we have a great chance [to win the regional], but the pressure was to win the sectional. I don’t think there’s any pressure from here on out.”

CHAMPIONSHIP

PROVIDENCE 4, HENRYVILLE 1

Davis allowed just one run on two hits and Henryville got just two baserunners past second base. He struck out seven Hornets, including the first two he faced, and didn’t allow a hit to the middle of Henryville’s dangerous lineup.

Davis also reached base three times, including an RBI double and a subsequent run during the Pioneers’ critical three-run fifth inning.

“That’s probably the best all-around game he’s played,” Hornung said of the senior. “It was an overall great game for Jon Davis.”

Providence led from start to finish after Ben Shahroudi opened the game with a single and scored on a Justin Starr sacrifice fly.

Davis and Cody Reister then combined to throw seven consecutive scoreless half-innings before the Pioneers exploded in the fifth.

Reister walked Campbell to open the frame. The Davis double then brought Campbell all the way around from first. Austin Dickey followed with an RBI double that scored Davis. After a Shahroudi single, pinch-runner Garrett Polston scored on a wild pitch to make it 4-0.

“All day it was tight. Those were a big three runs,” Hornung said.

Henryville answered with its only run of the game when Davis walked Cody Brock and Austin Bowles, who had both of the Hornets’ hit and reached base three times, to open the fifth. After Brock went to third on a Dylan Collins groundout, he scored on a balk.

Henryville threatened again in the sixth, but Dakota Harrell was caught stealing with runners on first and second and two outs.

After a Bowles single in the seventh, Davis got Collins to fly out to end the contest.

Shahroud went 2-for-4 and Justin Starr, Davis, Andrew Hunt and Campbell reached base twice for the Pioneers.



SEMIFINALS

PROVIDENCE 4, EASTERN 3

The Pioneers avenged last year’s sectional championship loss — but it didn’t come easy.

Campbell reached on a fielder’s choice in the top of the eighth inning. When he stole second base, Eastern catcher Cody Shepherd threw the ball into center field. Musketeers centerfielder Kaleb Nicholson tried to throw out Campbell at third, but his heave was also overthrown, allowing Campbell to score the go-ahead run.

“Beating Eastern was a big deal because of the disappointment last year,” Campbell said. “Last year was so bad and [winning the sectional] my senior year means the world to me. We wanted to get it done our senior year.”

Mueller came in the fourth inning with the bases loaded, nobody out and the game tied at 3-3. Mueller got the Musketeers out in order, including a pair of strikeouts, and threw a shutout the rest of the way. Mueller had 10 strikeouts in five innings, threw 44 strikes on 57 pitches and threw a strike on the first pitch to 13 of the 15 batters he faced.

“That may be the best performance by a pitcher since I’ve been coaching here,” Hornung said. “Especially considering the situation.”

Mueller has now struck out 32 batters and walked just one this season.

Campbell had a double for the Pioneers, while Starr and Hunt each tripled.

Jason Allen had a double for Eastern, which was limited to four hits by Hunt and Mueller.



HENRYVILLE 11, PAOLI 1

Bailey Hall held Paoli to just five hits and the Hornets took advantage of seven Ram errors to win in six innings.

Henryville jumped out to a 4-0 lead and led 8-1 after four innings.

Brock went 2-for-4 with a double and a triple and knocked in four runs  for Henryville. Harrell went 3-for-3 with a triple, two stolen an RBI and he scored three times.                                                                        

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