“I just wanted to throw strikes and get our team to the end,” said Vowell, who threw 86 pitches and only gave up two runs — which came on a Samson Miller home run in the second inning.
“I wanted to get our team in there to let them hit. I’ll play defense and do the pitching for them.”
West Side will get another shot at New Albany on Friday at 6 p.m. in the state championship series at Englewood. West Side has to beat New Albany twice to advance to the Great Lakes regional tournament in Whitestown, Ind.
West Side was handed its first loss by New Albany on a game-ending solo home run by Nolan Pettinger in the bottom of the seventh on Wednesday.
“We’re wanting to get our revenge,” Vowell said. “We’re going to come back and put it on them.”
West Side scored all of its run in the first three innings Thursday.
Cash Brown reached on an error to start things off and later scored on a Brennan Beaudoin ground out that gave West Side a 1-0 lead.
Konnor Commins singled to open up the top of the second and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Vowell singled to center, moving Commins over to third. Commins scored on a passed ball, and Vowell later crossed the plate on Nolan Warner’s ground out to make it 3-0.
“The focus of the day was to score more runs,” West Side manager Tim Nichting said. “We moved the ball a lot today, but I think we still need to hit a little better. I’ve always said that our cry is that we can always work on hitting a little bit better. It was enough to win today.”
Blake Miller reached on a base hit to begin the bottom of the second, and Samson followed with his two-run homer to cut West Side’s lead to 3-2.
Beaudoin singled in the top of the third and scored on a passed ball to give West Side its two-run cushion.
Vowell held his own on the mound before Timmy Saurber came in on relief to record the final two outs.
“We haven’t been together a lot, which has only helped the situation,” Nichting said. “You have to tip your hat to Cole. He stepped up and threw a gem. He did everything we needed.
“I got scared to death throwing my grandson (Saurber) in there to finish it, but we have to take chances,” Nichting added. “We’ve got to save our pitching for tomorrow (Friday). We feel good about tomorrow. We feel we’re not hurting on pitching. We feel we are strong there. But, hey, let’s see what happens.”
West Side is seeking its 21st state title and sixth trip to the Little League World Series (1991, 1993, 2007, 2010, 2021).
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