Parker Eshelman photo

Hickman’s Stephen Peel threw a complete game in the Kewpies’ 5-3 victory over Vianney in the championship game of the Sells Development/Red Weir Classic last night at Hickman Field.

If pitching does indeed win championships, the Hickman baseball team appears well armed to make another run at a state title in Dave Wilson’s final year as coach.

The Kewpies used five pitchers in four games this weekend to claim the Sells Development/Red Weir Classic for the first time since their 2005 state-championship season.

In last night’s title game at Hickman Field, Stephen Peel tossed the Kewpies’ second complete game of the tournament. Brushing off a sluggish three-run first inning, Peel kept Vianney scoreless the rest of the game to lead Hickman to a 5-3 victory.

"He gutted up and pitched a great game," Wilson said of Peel, who improved to 4-0 on the season.

After watching teammates Drew Mitrisin, Greg Kanuckel and James Hudelson go at least six innings in their tournament starts, Peel planned on finishing the tournament with a flourish.

"I wanted to go seven," he said. "I knew we were a little thin in the bullpen, and it would help our team if I got all seven done."

Getting through the first inning was the hard part. Staked to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning when the Kewpies strung together four straight hits off Vianney starter Kevin Frigerio, Peel walked the first batter he faced and struggled to pitch around a one-out error on second baseman Brandt Frye. Two RBI hits followed the error, but a nice play and long throw from behind third base by Hudelson helped get Peel out of the jam.

Hickman (14-4) plated single runs in the second and third innings to regain the lead, and Peel took care of the rest. Vianney (12-8) collected two hits in the second and singles in each of the next three innings, but could never get enough baserunners to push across another run.

Peel said he struggled spotting his fastball early in the game, but eventually found his rhythm despite the stalling tactics of Vianney’s batters.

"You can’t let that bother you," Peel said. "I work fast normally and they were trying to disrupt that. I just blocked it out and kept throwing my game."

According to Wilson, Peel’s pitching usually gets better the longer he’s on the mound.

"Stephen is a guy that gets stronger as the game goes on," Wilson said. "We had the bullpen ready. We were hoping to get five or six innings, but he looked really good in the bullpen before the game started. He’s a student of the game. You could just tell the way he was pitching out there he was mixing his pitches well."

Peel struck out eight, allowed eight hits and walked two. Only one of three runs he allowed was earned.

Every Hickman starter had one hit, with Colin Kemble, Thad McVeigh, Taylor Steuber, Bart Steponovich and Eric Johanning all collecting one RBI. Johanning also made a diving catch in right field on a softly hit ball to start the seventh inning.

"The team is on a roll," Peel said. "We’re hitting the ball well and playing defense. All you have to do is throw strikes, get the ball over the plate, let them hit it and we’ll get the outs."

Earlier in the day, Hudelson struck out 10 over six innings to advance the Kewpies into the championship game with a 5-2 win over St. Dominic. The senior right-hander allowed only three hits but had to pitch around seven walks.

"It all starts with our pitching and defense," Wilson said. "When those things are going well, we’re a better hitting team this year, so we have a chance to do good things."

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