Photo by Andrew Grimm Indian Creek ace Sylus Hyde delivers a pitch against Brooke on Thursday. Hyde struck out nine in a complete game shutout to help Creek stay undefeated with a 2-0 win.

Indian Creek senior ace Sylus Hyde has been such a player for Indian Creek head coach Mike Cottis for the better part of four years now.

With his pitch count getting elevated and his team clinging to a 2-0 lead on visiting Brooke headed to the sixth inning, the Ashland University signee needed to finish strong.

The first two Bruins reached, but Hyde slammed the door with three-straight strikeouts.

Despite some action in the bullpen, when the top of the seventh came around, it was Hyde who walked back out to the mound to finish what he started.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Brooke second baseman Kamden Sperringer fires the ball to first for an out.

He fanned the first batter and got a quick pop out before the Bruins’ Zac O’Mery doubled to keep the game alive.

The next batter, though, Hyde got to pop out finishing a complete game, three-hit shutout on Muth Field to keep the Redskins unblemished record in tact.

“His pitch count was up a little bit, we ask him how he’s feeling and he always feels great,” Cottis, Creek’s veteran skipper, said. “He wanted to finish this one out. He didn’t have his best stuff his first couple of starts, but he settled in today and really started to look like the old Sylus Hyde. He found a groove.”

Hyde finished with nine strikeouts in the game, four in the last seven batters he faced. He walked six, raising his pitch count, but the strong finish to complete the game allowed Creek to save relief arms with games scheduled today and Saturday.

While the Creek (6-0) offense had been firing on all cylinders, scoring nine or more runs in its first five games and 29 a day earlier, Thursday the runs were a bit harder to come by.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Indian Creek's Ian Starkey races home on a wild pitch to score a run.

The Bruins’ Nikos Palavis had a strong outing of his own, tossing five strong innings with five punch outs to keep the visitors hanging around. Only one of the runs he allowed on four hits was earned. O’Mery fired scoreless sixth with a pair of punch outs as well.

But, Creek found a way to get just enough offense, scoring one run each in the bottom of the second and third.

They opened the scoring when Garrin Clark’s groundout plated Luke McVicker, who had reached on a fielder’s choice and got to third base on a Bruins error.

An inning later, Ian Starkey scored on a wild pitch with the bases juiced to make it 2-0, but Brooke escaped the inning with that being the only damage.

“Their guys threw really well, too,” Cottis said of Brooke’s pitchers. “We found a way, we did what we had to do to win, but we have to have better at bats against quality pitching. We had just enough. We put the ball in play, put some pressure on them and good things happened. Some days it’s just about finding.a way to scratch a couple across the hope for the best.”

Photo by Andrew Grimm Brooke's Nikos Palavis lines up a pitch against Indian Creek.

Despite having three hits, Brooke (3-9-1) had its chances, leaving nine men on base in the game.

“Congratulations to them, they played a nice game and (Hyde) did a nice job pitching,” Brooke head coach Doug Costain said. “We had our chances. I’m really proud of our pitcher, he did a great job of keeping us in the game. We made a couple mistakes that led to runs, if we make a couple of routine plays, we’re right there.

“We’re having a tough time right now, but I’m taking that game as a positive that we’re climbing in the right direction.”

The Bruins have had a rough go against a tough schedule, but facing teams like Creek, Costain believes, will only make them better when things count in the tournament.

“No doubt, playing teams like that is going to make us better,” he said. “We came back from Huntington where we played some of the biggest teams in the state and competed really well, now it’s just finding it and putting it all together. They believe in themselves and we believe in them.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Indian Creek's Gavin Pownall makes contact with his swing.

“We’ve played some really good teams and we’ve competed every day. We just have to find ways to win and learn how to win.”

UP NEXT

Brooke: Has a chance to bounce back today hosting Buckeye Local.

Indian Creek: Is back in action today hosting Beaver Local.

Indian Creek 2, Brooke 0

Photo by Andrew Grimm Indian Creek's Logan Wedlake dives for third base as Brooke's Dustin Engle attempts to apply a tag.

B 0-0-0 0-0-0 0 — 0 3 2

IC 0-1-1 0-0-0 x — 2 4 1

BROOKE (3-9-1): Palavis (LP, 5IP, 2R. 1ER, 4H, 5K, 4BB, !HBP) and Provenzano. O’Mery D; Murdock S; Sperringer S.

INDIAN CREEK (6-0): Hyde (WP, CG, 0R, 3H, 9K, 6BB, 1HBP) and Rusnak. Clark S, RBI; J. Brothers S; Wedlake S; Starkey S.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Indian Creek second baseman Max Lane makes a play.

Photo by Andrew Grimm Brooke's Tyson Klick makes a throw across to first for an out as pitcher Nikos Palavis ducks out of the way.