Staff report
SIDNEY — Lehman outhit No. 2-ranked Riverside 14-4 Thursday, but still needed a two-run rally in the bottom of the seventh to pull out a 5-4 thriller in Northwest Central Conference action.
The win was the second in three days over Riverside, and clinched no worse than a share of the NWCC championship. The Cavaliers are now 12-0 in the league with two league games to play, and hold a two-game lead over the Pirates now.
Overall, the Cavaliers go to 15-1 and won’t return to action until Monday at Botkins.
Riverside is 9-2 in the NWCC and 15-3 overall.
“It was a tough game against a tough team,” said Lehman head coach Dave King. “They only had four hits, so obviously they took advantage of some things to lead most of the game.”
Riverside got a run in the first, but the Cavaliers came back with two in the bottom of the inning. Riverside tied it in the third then took a 4-2 lead in the top of the fourth.
In the bottom of the fifth, Nate Bosway came up with a big hit for the Cavaliers, lining a pitch over the fence in right field for a solo home run that cut the lead to just one at 4-3.
Lehman sent six batters to the plate in the bottom of the sixth, but came up empty, so it went to the seventh. And unfortunately for Riverside, leading off was Bosway, who had the home run and two singles in his first three trips.
He singled again to start the rally, and after a strikeout on a bunt attempt, Dylan Arnold singled on what King said was an outstanding at-bat.
“He was hitless at the time, but he really came up big with probably his best at-bat of the season,” King said.
Stephen Monnin then singled in Bosway to tie the game up, and after an intentional walk to load the bases with one out, Owen Smith singled to left to win it.
Bosway, who was Lehman’s ace pitcher last year before needing surgery on his arm, came on in the fourth for the Cavs and got the win in his very first appearance of the season on the mound. He and Monnin allowed just four hits while striking out four and walking three.
Bosway also drove in two runs and scored three times.
Smith finished with three hits, and Brandon Barhorst and Tyler Lachey two apiece for the Cavs.
Connor Cotterman had two hits for Riverside, and Dakota Bollinger had a double.
The linescore:
Riv.`101 00 0`4`4`2
Leh.`200 010 2`5`14`2
Sanford, Bollinger (6) (LP) and Kreglow; Monnin, Bosway (4) and Schutt.
Records: Lehman 15-1, Riverside 15-3.
——
Loramie 3, Russia 0
RUSSIA — Fort Loramie scored single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings and turned things over to Jared Middendorf in a 3-0 victory over the Russia Raiders in County baseball action Thursday.
The win puts the Redskins at 12-5 overall and leaves the Raiders at 9-8.
Drew Wehrman and Blake Gaier had two hits apiece for the Redskins.
Middendorf pitched a four-hitter, giving up four singles to four different players. He struck out two and walked three.
The linescore:
FL`000 111 0`3`6`0
Rus.`000 000 0`0`4`3
Middendorf (WP) and Kitzmiller; Counts (LP), McCarty (7) and Drees.
Records: FL 12-5, Russia 9-8.
——
FR 3, Minster, 8 inn.
MINSTER — It was a classic pitcher’s duel Thursday at Minster, and Fort Recovery sophomore Thwaits got the best of it in a 3-0 eight-inning thriller over Minster in Midwest Athletic Conference play.
The loss leaves the Wildcats 2-2 in the MAC and 13-5 overall. Recovery is 2-2 and 10-5.
Thwaits struck out 11 and outdueled Minster’s Josh Nixon, who like Thwaits tossed a three-hitter. He struck out seven and walked six.
Recovery scored its three in the eighth without the ball leaving the infield. There were four walks, a hit batsmen, a bunt and an error, and only two of the runs were earned.
The linescore:
FR`000 000 02`3`3`2
Min.`000 000 00`0`3`1
Thwaits (WP) and Bruns; Nixon and Stubbs.
Records: Minster 13-5, FR 10-5.
——
Botkins 5, JC 3
BOTKINS — Jackson Center led 3-0 after three and a half innings, but Botkins plated five in the fourth and went on to win 5-3 over the Tigers in County baseball action Thursday.
Ethan Zorn and Brady Wildermuth both singled and doubled for the Tigers, and Todd Tschuor was 2 for 4 with a big three-run double in the fourth inning.
The linescore:
JC`201 000 0`3`5`1
Bot.`000 500 x`5`6`2
WP: Liesner; LP: Wildermuth; Save: Tschuor
