Toomey’s Walk-Off Sends Heath to State Final

AKRON, OH

Riley Baum leading the Bulldogs out onto the field, but the Golden Bears struck first. Hudson Barkman finds the gap in right-center, giving the Golden Bears a 2-0 lead in the second inning. But the defense behind Baum in this one was outstanding for Heath. Look at Tannar Patterson at second! A great sliding stop in the fifth. Hey, who needs the hat?

That sparks a furious Bulldogs rally in the bottom half. A 3-1 lead for Waynedale is cut in half by Hayden Woodward. As he sends that all the way to the wall in right, scoring Patterson. Kaden Green up next for Heath and he’s going to do the job with a sac fly and he scores Woodward to tie it at three.

The “Sea of Orange” absolutely loving it for the Bulldogs. The momentum in Heath’s favor late in this one. More stellar defense in the sixth. Tremendous diving grab from junior Connor Corbett in left! Waynedale would load the bases in the sixth with one out, a fired up Riley Baum gets out of the jam and we remain deadlocked at three. This game goes to extras and in the eighth, with the runner on second, up steps Connor Toomey. Just out of reach in right.

And guess what, folks? The Heath Bulldogs are moving on to the Division III final tomorrow against the Lake Flyers. We caught up with Heath’s hero about his game walk off swing.

Toomey: “I trusted my guy to get on, and it’s just a matter of if I swing or not. It would affect the game, and I finally swung, something finally landed, and we got the result we wanted. Once I hit that, I blacked out and just started running, and yeah, it was great.”