Staff report
RUSSIA— Six days ago, the Anna Rockets were unbeaten in County baseball action.
Now they find themselves in second place, looking up at the Russia Raiders, who beat them for the second time in the last week to take over sole possession of first place in the league standings in action Monday at Russia.
The Raiders overcame a 2-0 deficit to tie the game up with two in the fourth, then added two in the sixth for a big 2-0 victory over the Rockets, after the two teams entered Monday’s play with identical 8-1 County records.
Russia has now won five in a row and runs its overall mark to 17-4 to go with the 9-1 league mark.
Anna, winner of nine of its last 10 games prior to Monday, drops one game back at 8-2 in the County and is now 14-6 overall.
The Rockets will likely finish league play 10-2, having only games with 5-13 Botkins and 1-12 Fairlawn remaining.
Russia, however, plays at Botkins Thursday and will likely clinch a share of the title, but to win it outright, they will have to win at Fort Loramie next week in the regular-season finale. The Redskins also have just two losses in league play.
Anna struck for two runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks to two walks and two errors by the Raiders. But that was the only thing the Rockets could muster off Russia pitcher Hunter Cohee, who was outstanding on the mound. After the second, he retired the side 1-2-3 in the third and fourth, then faced just four hitters in each of the final three frames. He came within one out of pitching a no-hitter in arguably the team’s most important game of the season. Colin Wuebker singled with two out in the bottom of the seventh for Anna’s only hit of the game.
Cohee struck out 12 and walked only one in a dominating performance.
Russia broke through in the fourth against Anna ace Mitchell Lindsey, and it started with an error off the bat of Dylan Cordonnier.
After a fly-ball out, Cohee singled and Kevin Drees doubled both runs home.
Two innings later, it was Drees again. After a strikeout, Cohee singled again, and Drees followed with a two-run homer, giving him all four runs batted in for the Raiders.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
Anna`020 000 0—2`1`1
Russia`000 202 x—4`4`3
Lindsey (LP) and White; Cohee and Drees.
Records: Anna 14-6, Russia 17-4.
COUNTY STANDINGS
`League`All
Russia`9-1`17-4
Anna`8-2`14-6
Loramie`8-2`13-9
Houston`3-6`6-14
Botkins`3-6`5-13
Jackson`2-7`4-12
Fairlawn`0-9`1-12
——
Lehman 10, Perry 0
Lehman clinched at least a share of the Northwest Central Conference championship Monday, blanking Lima Perry 10-0 in action at Lehman.
The win put the Cavaliers at 12-0 in the league and gave them a two-game lead with just two to play. They can clinch an outright championship with a win at Lima Perry today.
Overall, the Cavaliers, ranked third in the state this week, are now 19-2.
Parker Riley ran his record to 8-0 this year and 21-0 over the last two seasons with a route-going effort. He struck out five and walked none in pitching a five-inning one-hitter.
Lehman, meanwhile, had just five hits but took advantage of 13 walks, one hit batsman and four Perry errors to score 10 times.
Tyler Lachey and Ryan Schmidt both doubled for the Cavs, and both drove in two runs. Lachey, Brandon Barhorst and Owen Smith all scored twice, and Riley helped his own cause with a pair of singles.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
Perry`000 00—0`1`4
Lehman`203 05—10`5`1
A. Money (LP), Hoersten (4), Miller (5) and Maxwell; Riley and Smith.
Records: Lehman 19-2, Perry 6-6.
NWCC standings
`League`All
• Lehman`12-0`19-2
Ridgemont`10-2`15-4
Riverside`9-4`13-10
Perry`5-5`6-6
Upper Scioto`5-6`7-11
Lima Temple`5-8`5-8
Hardin Nor.`1-11`3-16
Waynesfield`0-11`0-15
• clinched share of championship
——
Houston 12, Fairlawn 2
HOUSTON — Houston scored in every inning to beat Fairlawn 12-2 in County baseball at Houston Monday.
The Wildcats go to 7-14 overall with the win while dropping Fairlawn to 1-13.
Jacob Trent was 3-for-4 for the Wildcats and drove in two runs, Dylan Hensley doubled and scored three times, and Hunter Herrick was 3-for-3 and drove in two runs.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
Fairlawn`000 11—2`2`2
Houston`423 12—12`10`1
WP: Hensley; LP: Wright
Records: Houston 7-14, Fairlawn 1-13.
——
Greenville 16, Sidney 10
GREENVILLE — Sidney fell to 1-11 in the Greater Western Ohio Conference American North standings after a 16-10 loss to Greenville on the road Monday.
The Jackets are now 5-18 overall and host Greenville again today (Tuesday).
Sidney scored four times in the top of the first, but Greenville came right back with six in the bottom of the inning.
The Jackets responded with two to tie it up in the second, but the Green Wave added five more. The Jackets trailed the rest of the way, despite a four-run fifth.
Caleb Harris led Sidney’s 15-hit attack with three hits and three runs batted in. Kyle Noble had a home run and three RBIs, Cole Hoffman had two hits, including a triple, drove in two and scored twice, Jack Feazel had two doubles and Kaden Walker and Austin McLain had two singles apiece.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
Sidney`420 040 0—10`15`2
Greenville`653 002 x—16`15`1
WP: Pandey; LP: Harris
Records: Sidney 5-18, Greenville 9-12.
——
NB 15, Mississinawa 0
NEW BREMEN — The New Bremen Cardinals erupted for 10 runs in the bottom of the first and went on to run-rule visiting Mississinawa Valley 15-0 in non-league action Monday.
The Cardinals, 11-9 on the year, got two hits from Luke Vonderhaar and three RBIs from Justin Tenkman. Bryce Blickle and Casey Parker both drove in two runs.
Vonderhaar scored three times and Grant Selby and Blickle twice each.
Freshman Spencer Alig threw a five-inning no-hitter, striking out two and walking only one.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
MV`000 00—0`0`2
NB`(10)00 50—15`8`0
WP: S. Alig; LP: Shimp
Records: NB 11-9
——
NK 17, W-G 1
WAYNESFIELD — New Knoxville kept Waynesfield winless on the year with a 17-1 non-league verdict in five innings Monday.
The Rangers are now 7-8 on the year and Waynesfield 0-15.
Corey Kuck tripled and Nathan Tinnerman doubled for the Rangers.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
NK`234 80—17`6`1
W-G`000 10—1`2`5
WP: Blitch; LP: Searson
Records: NK 7-8, W-G 0-15.
