FRANKLIN FURNACE — In baseball, coaches always talk about the "little things." And for good reason. Staying locked in for seven innings while managing the countless variables of the game is harder than it looks on paper. But for the Green Bobcats, mastering those little things has become a championship tradition.
Monday night was no exception. Behind a dominant complete-game performance from pitcher Jon Knapp, who struck out 10 batters, the Bobcats defeated Ironton St. Joseph 7-2 at Green High School to claim their third straight Southern Ohio Conference Division I title. With the win, Green improved to 17-2 overall and finished league play at 7-1 — securing the outright championship.
Knapp wasn't the only star. The Bobcat defense committed just one error, while the offense capitalized on St. Joe's mistakes, scoring five runs off three passed balls, a balk, and an error. It was a textbook example of doing the little things right.
"Great win," said Green head coach David Shoupe. "We came out and gutted it out. That's just been this team all year. We wanted the league title to ourselves, and that's what we got. Three in a row, baby."
St. Joe head coach Nick Medinger saw the game differently. "It's the little things that beat us," he said. "We hung right with them through our pitching, defense, and hitting. It was just the little things."
The Flyers struck first in the second inning. Mason Weber led off with a single, advanced to third on a failed pickoff attempt and a groundout, then scored on an error when Blake Medinger's grounder rolled down the third base line. St. Joe led 1-0.
But Green answered quickly. Brennan Renison and Conner Blanton drew back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the second. After a sacrifice bunt by Kase McIntyre, leadoff hitter Riddick Jenkins ripped a ball up the middle, scoring both runners and putting the Bobcats ahead 2-1.
From there, Jenkins and fellow junior Gabe Blevins took over. The duo combined for all five of Green's hits, going 5-for-8 at the plate with a double and two RBIs. In conference play, Blevins hit .542 and Jenkins .458 — numbers that explain why Shoupe trusts them in key spots.
"That's why they're there," Shoupe said. "We've just got to load the table and let those guys do their job."
For a team that wears the Bobcat name with pride, the three-peat is more than just a trophy. It's proof that championships are built on the little things — pitch by pitch, inning by inning, season by season.