Fort Hill may not have been at its sharpest, but the No. 3 seed Sentinels still managed to cruise past No. 6 Hancock with an 11-1 victory in six innings during Thursday's Class 1A West Region I quarterfinal at Washington Middle School.
"Today was a little bit of a rough one," Fort Hill manager Tanner Brode admitted. "Little slow to get started. Hopefully, we got the kinks out today in preparation for Saturday. Overall, I would say I'm a little disappointed at how we came out today."
The Sentinels (10-9-1) labored early, managing just one hit through the first three innings and leaving six runners stranded on base—including two in scoring position to end both the third and fifth frames. "I think just manufacturing some runs," Brode said. "Leaving some guys on, we're not really crossing off our jobs chart. We have a jobs chart we look at after every game, there's not a lot of checkmarks. I think that's something I'd like for us to be in a better spot in."
Hancock (2-17) actually struck first, grabbing a 1-0 lead in the top of the first on a wild pitch. But Fort Hill responded in kind, scoring the game's final 11 runs. The Sentinels took a 3-1 lead after three innings before breaking things open with a five-run fifth and a three-run sixth to end it early.
"I can't really speak for the kids, but we try to prepare the same way for everybody," Brode said when asked if his team might have overlooked Hancock. "Maybe looking a little bit ahead, that's definitely a tough matchup, reigning 1A state champs. I don't think so, but it could've been."
Bobby Brauer, Coye Resh, and Christian Hook each collected two hits to lead the Sentinels' offense. Hook drove in three runs, while Brauer and Jake Rice each added a pair of RBIs.
On the mound, Colt Resh earned the win with 2 1/3 innings of work, striking out five while allowing three hits, two walks, and an unearned run. Coye Resh also punched out five batters over 3 1/3 shutout frames in relief. For Hancock, Ethan Hill was charged with four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings.
The win sets up a region semifinal showdown Saturday at No. 2 seed Allegany, with first pitch tentatively scheduled for noon (weather permitting). The Campers (11-6) swept the regular-season series between the two rivals, winning 3-0 and 8-3.
"I think we just got to get them out of their rhythm," Brode said of the upcoming matchup. "Expect to see Kohen Madden, but Liam Buck's another solid pitcher. And they have a couple guys behind those two, so just trying to get their pitcher off rhythm. Try to get some momentum on the offensive side."