Elkhart Christian holds off Culver rally, advances to sectional final

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Baseball

Elkhart Christian 10, Culver 6 (Saturday): Caleb McCuen and Jonas McCuen had two hits each, and Cam Whitworth and Adam Peterson had a hit and two RBIs each, but the Cavaliers fell to Elkhart Christian in a Class 1A, Sectional 51 semifinal at South Central (Union Mills) Saturday.

Culver scored six times in the fourth, all with two outs, to cut into a 7-0 deficit. Kael Buschman had an RBI walk, Peterson had a two-run single, and Buschman scored on an error after Caleb McCuen reached on a single to make it 7-4.

After Caleb McCuen stole second, Whitworth followed with a two-run single to make it 7-6.

However, Elkhart Christian would respond with two runs in the fifth and one more in the sixth.

Whitworth started on the mound and took the loss after allowing seven runs in 1 ⅔ innings. He allowed five hits and also walked two and hit four batters while fanning three.

Caleb McCuen and Jonas McCuen followed him to the mound. Culver pitchers combined to strike out 15, but they also walked nine and hit five batters, and Culver committed two errors that led to six unearned runs.

Elkhart Christian improved to 8-17 and will face Triton in the sectional final at 5:30 p.m. Eastern Monday. Triton edged South Central 2-1 in the first semifinal.

Culver finished 7-15.

Elkhart Christian 10, Culver 6

Elkhart Christian 250 021 0 – 10 8 3

Culver 000 600 0 – 6 6 2

WP – Graham (3 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

LP – Cam Whitworth (1 ⅔ IP, 5 H, 7 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 HBP, 3 K)

2B – Ramirez 2 (ECA), Jonas McCuen (CUL)