Marauders’ pitching depth paying big dividends this postseason

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Mt. Vernon’s Eli Clotfelter starts on the mound against Shelbyville on Tuesday, April 13, 2021. ( Tom Russo | Daily Reporter)

FORTVILLE — Before the postseason began last month, Mt. Vernon head coach Brad King was quick to emphasize his note of confidence.

From hitting to fielding, King knew what his Marauders were capable of accomplishing, but no more so than from 60 feet, 6 inches.

While 2021 South All-Star senior catcher Hunter Dobbins leads the Marauders’ hitters with a .560 batting average and senior infielder Joel Walton continues to come up clutch at the plate, the Mt. Vernon pitching staff has kept its collective heads down and their numbers just as low.

“We have some great depth this year. I think, everyone thought we were going to be thin this year, but A.J. (Swingle) has really kind of come out of nowhere, honestly, so we have me, A.J., Eli (Bridenthal) and Gavin (Sullivan) closing,” Mt. Vernon senior ace Eli Clotfelter said. “We have a handful of guys who can definitely go in there and do their job.”

The Marauders’ pitchers and their hard-hat mentality have paid dividends this postseason, limiting their opponents to 12 hits over four games, five runs scored and three total earned runs in 26.0 innings en route to the program’s first regional championship since 1971.

Clotfelter was handed the ball in two of those four state tournament games, including Saturday’s Class 4A Regional 3 semifinal at Plainfield High School, and both times he’s been rock solid.

The right-handed Volunteer State recruit, who has been clocked at 90 mph with his fastball, according to Prep Baseball Report Indiana, threw a pair of no-hit frames against Muncie Central during the Pendleton Heights Sectional semifinal on May 29.

In his second postseason appearance this past Saturday, Clotfelter dug in and pitched a complete-game gem against Franklin Central.

His mound time against Muncie Central in a lopsided 19-0, run-rule victory was just a warm up before he scattered seven hits over 7.0 innings with 12 strikeouts during the regional semifinal.

“Obviously, I had to get that win, being a senior,” Clotfelter said. “I knew it could have been my last game, so I keep that in the back of my mind. I let it drive me.”

His strikeout count was his second most this season with 13 punch outs recorded during a 6-2 complete-game victory over Hoosier Heritage Conference foe New Castle on May 5.

He now has 81 strikeouts in 51.0 innings with an 8-1 record and a 3.29 ERA this season.

Saturday’s dozen, however, were crucial as Clotfelter held the Flashes to one two-run inning in the fourth, while the Marauders’ offense rallied to erase a 2-1 deficit with five unanswered runs late to win 6-2.

Clotfelter’s performance was historic, helping the program secure it’s first regional game win since 1972 and first in six tries with sectional titles amassed in 1974, ‘84, ‘92, ‘95, 2011 and 2021.

In his past four outings, Clotfelter has only allowed three earned runs in 19.0 innings with 28 strikeouts.

“We’re fortunate. We’ve got three or four dudes who can put it on anybody any day of the week. We have three or four guys who can show up,” Swingle said.

Swingle, a left-handed senior, had his moments in both the sectional and regional finals.

With a record of 9-0 and a 1.60 ERA to date, Swingle pitched a one-hit, complete-game against Pendleton Heights during the sectional championship on Memorial Day for an 8-0 shutout.

He, too, has had higher strikeout totals this year, posting 13 over 6.0 innings in a 9-6 win over HHC opponent Delta on April 7 and 11 against conference rival New Palestine in 4.1 innings during an 8-6 victory on April 23.

“When I’m out there, I’m not thinking of anything really other than this is just another game,” Swingle said. “That’s when you start getting into your head, if things don’t go your way, and the pressure is on and you start digging yourself a hole, so I just try to keep my head clear and whatever doesn’t go my way, kick it to the side and just keep going.”

Against Cathedral in the regional finals, Swingle limited the seventh-ranked Fighting Irish to two hits, struck out six, walked three and surrendered one earned run in 5.0 innings, but he faced a 3-2 deficit with two unearned runs.

The Marauders lost the lead on a passed ball in the bottom of the fifth, 3-2, but Swingle and the pitching staff never felt they were out of the game.

“We knew we were going to have to put our noses in and really grind it out because we knew they weren’t going to give up and it took us all the way to the seventh inning to get the win,” Swingle said. “It was huge.”

The Marauders three-run top of the sixth put Swingle in line for the win, and he later helped the team add an insurance run in the seventh with a one-out double, scoring on a wild pitch after a dropped third-strike extended the inning.

Bridenthal (3-1) closed out the 6-3 regional championship victory with two no-hit innings in the sixth and seventh behind three strikeouts and a walk.

“They’ve done a great job all year, and this was A.J.’s game, I just came in to close it out,” Bridenthal said. “He really pitched a great game, and I wanted to make sure we finished it.”

The sophomore right-hander has been steady all season with 33 strikeouts in 26.0 innings, four earned runs allowed in his past 18.0 innings pitched, a 3.77 ERA and 14 walks issued overall.

Sullivan, a junior reliever, carries a 2.39 ERA with a 2-1 record, three saves and 19 strikeouts in 14.2 innings pitched.

The staff’s top four have each contributed to the Marauders’ record-setting 26-6 team record, first outright HHC championship, eighth sectional title all time and now an upcoming final four appearance this Saturday at Jasper in the southern semistate.

“It’s definitely history, and I think we can call ourselves the best team in Mt. Vernon history, which is kind of wild, and I don’t think we’re done yet,” Clotfelter said. “I think we still have some left in us.”

All four might be needed during Saturday’s win-and-advance showdown with host Jasper (29-2) with a state finals berth on the line. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Alvin C. Ruxer Field.

“There’s obviously a lot of confidence, especially now that we’ve won, but I think we’re kind of always the underdogs. We’re this small team from Fortville,” Clotfelter said. “I think, if we just keep hitting the ball, we’ll be just fine. We just have to keep on going, playing our ball.”