Staff report
Three County teams — the three that shared the league title — set about trying to win district baseball championships Saturday.
Two of them did, in easy fashion. But the third lost a tough one.
DIVISION 3
CHCA 1, Anna 0
BROOKVILLE — The Anna Rockets were looking for their 20th win of the season and a D-3 district title in action Saturday against Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, and it turned out to be quite a pitcher’s duel between Anna’s Mitchell Lindsey and CHCA’s Griffan Smith, who allowed just five hits between them.
The only run of the game crossed the plate in the bottom of the seventh for a walkoff victory for CHCA, which is now 20-7 heading into regional play later this week.
The Rockets finish just one win shy of not only a district, but also another 20-win season, finishing 19-10.
“This senior class leaves us with 92 wins, three County titles, four sectional championships, three district titles and a district-runner-up,” said Anna head coach Kristian Althauser. “They will be missed. But now it will be someone else’s turn to step up and continue the strong tradition of Anna baseball.”
Lindsey threw a three hitter in the loss, but was outdueled by Smith, who allowed just singles to Derek Coverstone and Nathan Frilling, and struck out 10 Rocket hitters.
CHCA’s leadoff hitter in the seventh singled, and eventually scored the game’s only run.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
Anna`000 000 0—0`2`3
CHCA`000 000 1—1`3`1
Lindsey (LP) and White; Smith and Tipper.
Records: Anna 19-10, CHCA 20-7.
——
DIVISION 4
Russia 12, Newton 2
EATON — Russia drilled Newton 12-2 in a Divison 4 Sectional final Saturday, the Raiders showing they were unimpressed by Newton’s top-10 ranking in the state and its 26-2 record.
The Raiders improve to 21-6 on the year and advance to the regional semifinals Thursday in Springfield, where they will take on County rival Fort Loramie. In the two regular-season meetings between the two clubs, Fort Loramie won both by scores of 3-2 and 4-0.
Russia scored single runs in the first four innings and led 4-1 after five. Then in the sixth, the Raiders sent 12 men to the plate and eight of them scored to blow the game open. The game ended after six innings.
Dion Puthoff led the Raiders. Not only did he have four straight hits, he also turned in a web gem with two on in a 4-1 game in the fourth. He dove to catch a blooper headed to the outfield, and probably saved two runs.
He had a double and a triple among his four hits, and he also scored three times and drove in four.
Drew Sherman and Kevin Drees both had two hits, and Drees and Jack Dapore both drove in two runs. Dapore had a double.
Daniel Kearns went the distance for the Raiders, striking out seven and walking three on a six-hitter.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
Russia`111 108—12`12`1
Newton`001 001—2`6`3
Kearns (WP) and Drees; Weaver and Gipe.
Records: Russia 21-6, Newton 26-3.
——
Loramie 10, Southeastern 4
PLEASANT HILL — The Fort Loramie Redskins reached 20 wins on the season Saturday with an easy 10-5 win over Southeastern in another D-4 district championship game.
The win was Loramie’s fifth in a row and 10th in their last 11 games, and that has taken them from a 10-9 record to a 20-10 mark.
They return to tournament action Thursday in the D-4 Regional at Springfield against the Russia Raiders, a team the Redskins have defeated twice this season by scores of 3-2 and 4-0. Game time is 2 p.m. and the winner advances to the regional championship Friday.
Loramie broke a scoreless deadlock with three runs in the top of the third, then followed that up with a big six-run uprising in the fourth for a 9-0 lead.
Southeastern came back with four in the bottom of the fourth, but when it was over, the Trojans had managed just two hits off Loramie pitching.
CJ Billing had the most potent bat, getting a single and a double and driving in four runs for the Redskins. Carter Siegel, who was the winning pitcher, was 2-for-5.
The linescore:
`R`H`E
Loramie`003 601 0—10`9`2
S’eastern`000 400 1—5`2`5
WP: Siegel; LP: Earles
Records: Loramie 2o-10, Southeastern 17-7.
——
Friday
Minster 12, Parkway 1
COLDWATER — The Minster Wildcats are also headed to D-4 Regional play after routing Parkway 12-1 in the district finals at Coldwater Friday night.
The Wildcats, now 21-7 on the year, advance to the regional tournament at Hamler Patrick Henry on Thursday at 2 p.m. They will take on New London, the top-seeded team in the Galion District.
Minster got a run in the second on an RBI single by Jack Heitbrink, and a run in the third on an RBI single from Ben Stubbs. It was still just 2-0 when the two teams went to the fifth inning, but over the fifth and sixth, Minster plated 10 runs to end the game after six innings. The final two runs came home on a two-run homer by Jon Niemeyer.
Parkway’s season ends at 11-12.
