Smith, McIntire lead NM to 3rd sectional title

Meredith, Hostetler add key defensive plays in win over Daleville

BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS

Sports Editor, RTC

Baseball

North Miami 7, Daleville 2 (Monday): Braylon McIntire pitched a five-hitter with three strikeouts, and Logan Smith hit a three-run homer to lead the North Miami baseball team past host Daleville in the Class 1A, Sectional 55 final Monday.

The sectional title is the third in North Miami school history. All three sectionals have come since 2019. This is the second sectional for coach Shannon Floor.

Smith, Keaton Floor and Quinn Hostetler had two hits each as part of a nine-hit Warrior attack. Evan Chumbley had a hit and two RBIs, Jension Carr had a hit and an RBI, and Jordan Simon had a hit.

North Miami scored in each of the first two innings on sacrifice flies from Carr and Chumbley off Daleville starter Mason Baker and never trailed.

McIntire got help from center fielder Ryan Meredith in the first. With Caleb Aikin on third with nobody out, Tripp Pitts flew out to Meredith, who then gunned down Aikin at the plate for a double play. 

McIntire maintained the 2-0 lead through three innings. Pitts led off the fourth with a double and would score on Bryson Sigler’s RBI single, but Carr would throw to second to nab Sigler trying to reach second on the throw home.

Daleville would have a runner at second with one out in the top of the fifth trailing 2-1, but Carson Tighe lined out to Hostetler at shortstop, who would turn it into an inning-ending double play to preserve the lead.

The first seven North Miami batters reached to start the bottom of the fifth. 

Reliever Carson Bates would hit Lake Musall and Carr with pitches to start the bottom of the fifth, and Smith launched his homer to extend the lead to 5-1.

Hostetler singled and Simon reached on a hit by pitch. A wild pitch moved runners to second and third, and Chumbley and Floor followed with RBI singles to make it 7-1.

Back-to-back doubles by Brayden Sigler and Bryson Sigler cut the lead to 7-2 to start the seventh. Bates walked.

But McIntire rebounded to strike out Jordan Greene, get Owen Thompson on a foul out to the catcher and Tighe on a pop to second base.

Daleville had upset No. 6 Cowan 4-1 on Saturday in the semifinals.

North Miami will play Monroe Central in a regional. Monroe Central routed Cambridge City Lincoln 16-1 in five innings to win Sectional 56.

The IHSAA has yet to determine the game times or sites for the regionals.

North Miami 7, Daleville 2

Daleville 000 100 1 – 2 5 0

North Miami 110 050 X – 7 9 1

WP – Braylon McIntire (7 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 HBP, 3 K)

LP – Baker (1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 HBP, 0 K)

2B – Brayden Sigler (DV), Bryson Sigler (DV), Pitts (DV), Quinn Hostetler (NM)

HR – Logan Smith (NM)