- April 25, 2024
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ODA senior Logan Tribble tosses his bat after walking to lead off the game.
ODA senior Tanner Fairchild smiles after a swing in the first inning.
ODA junior Carter Dierdorf slugs a hit to the outfield. The hit would score senior Logan Tribble.
ODA senior Logan Tribble is mobbed in the dugout after scoring the game's first run on an RBI from junior Carter Dierdorf.
ODA sophomore Luke Geske got the start. Geske pitched three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits.
ODA senior Tyler Colditz catches a pickoff attempt at first base. The TCA runner was called safe.
ODA junior Aidan Marino sprints to first base. Marino went 1-3 with a run scored.
ODA junior Carter Dierdorf tosses a ball to the infield after making a catch.
ODA sophomore pitcher Luke Geske hydrates in the dugout between innings.
ODA sophomore Luke Geske catches a toss from senior Tyler Colditz to get a runner at first base.
ODA junior Carter Dierdorf runs to catch a ball in right field.
ODA senior Tanner Fairchild steals second base after a dropped TCA throw.
ODA Coach Mike Matthews talks to junior Carter Dierdorf and senior Tanner Fairchild.
ODA junior Carter Dierdorf pitched three innings in relief. Dierdorf allowed zero runs on three hits.
ODA junior Aidan Marino lets out a yell after sliding into second base in the seventh inning. Marino would later score the game-tying run.
ODA senior Ryan Kelly gives a high five after reaching first base on a bunt in the seventh inning.
ODA senior Nolan Lewellen sprints to first base after laying down a bunt in the seventh inning. The bunt would score junior Aidan Marino to tie the game.
ODA senior Tanner Fairchild yells to the dugout after walking with the bases loaded in the seventh inning. The walk gave ODA the lead.
ODA junior Carter Dierdorf and senior Ryan Kelly bump arms after Kelly scored the go-ahead run.
ODA junior Carter Dierdorf lays down a bunt in the seventh inning to score another run.
ODA senior Tyler Colditz pitched the seventh inning. Colditz allowed zero runs on two hits.
Nolan Lewellen and Aidan Marino hug after ODA's 5-2 win against TCA.
ODA tips their hats to TCA on a well-played game.
If your offense can't get going, bunt.
It would seem to be backwards advice for The Out-of-Door Academy baseball team (23-3), which averages 8.54 runs per game. The Thunder have been able to swing their way into plenty of big wins in 2021, including the team's regional semifinal win against Canterbury on May 12, when the team scored six runs in the seventh inning to win 10-7. That comeback included a massive grand slam from senior Logan Tribble.
On Wednesday, in ODA's state semifinal game against Trinity Christian Academy (17-8-2), ODA again found itself trailing entering the seventh inning, but this time opted for a different approach. Down 2-1, the Thunder decided to bunt. Three times. Each time — from senior Ryan Kelly, senior Nolan Lewellen and junior Carter Dierdorf — the bunt went for a base hit. Those bunts combined with two walks and a lead off line drive from junior Aidan Marino that ricocheted off a TCA outfielder's glove, allowing him to reach second base, resulted in ODA scoring four runs in the inning.
Senior Tyler Colditz closed out things in the bottom of the seventh for a 5-2 ODA win.
"[Bunts are] something we have prepared for the last two or three weeks," Matthews said. "We've been implementing them at the end of practice. We were coming up a bit short in terms of guys at the plate the entire game. We just couldn't pull through with a big hit with runners in scoring position. [I] decided we needed to change things up a bit. Our guys executed when the time called for it. I couldn't be more proud of them."
ODA sophomore Luke Geske started the game on the mound and gave the Thunder three innings, allowing two runs (one earned) on four hits. Dierdorf came on in relief and also gave three inning, allowing zero runs on three hits, before Colditz closed it out.
The Thunder will play St. Johns Country Day (24-6) in the state championship game at 4 p.m. Thursday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
