Hunter Billman had three hits and drove in three runs to help Utica cap a non-league doubleheader sweep over Danville on Saturday, May 15, at Mount Vernon Nazarene University.
Billman hit a two-run double in the fourth inning that proved to be the game-winner, giving Utica a 5-1 lead. He added an RBI double in the sixth inning.
Kaiden Colopy hit a two-run single in the seventh inning, but the Blue Devils’ rally stalled.
Collin McCullough gave Utica all it needed with a two-run single in the first inning, and Utica rolled from there to a 12-0 win in the opener.
Josh Dillon drove in three runs and scored twice on two hits, and McCullough and Tanner Parsons had two hits and two RBIs each for Utica, which scored four runs in the opening frame.
Scots tie school record with 24th win
KJ Johnson, Brock Church and Rider Minnick each had RBI singles as Highland took the lead for good in the fourth inning and went on to win 5-3 at Westerville Central in non-league play on Monday, May 17.
The win, the Fighting Scots’ 24th, ties the school record for most wins in a season.
Minnick finished with two RBIs. Highland used four pitchers, with Logan Shafer notching the win by allowing one unearned run over three innings of relief.
Cooper Merckling’s two-run single capped a five-run first inning, and Highland rolled to a 10-0 win in five innings over Bexley in the first game as the Scots rolled to a non-league doubleheader sweep on Saturday, May 15, in Sparta.
Randy Cain had two hits and scored three runs, and Dom Carter had two hits and two RBIs to lead Highland in Game 1. Blake Jodrey tossed a three-hit shutout on the mound for Highland.
Carter also had two hits and two RBIs to lead the Scots in Game 2, an 8-1 win.
Merckling allowed one earned run over 4 2/3 innings, and Owen Mott struck out four in 2 1/3 innings of relief.
Minnick had three hits and Luke Cain scored three runs in Game 2.
Bulldogs’ winning streak halted
Andrew Fanello drove in three runs to lead visiting Lucas to a 7-4 win at East Knox, snapping the Bulldogs’ eight-game winning streak on Friday, May 14, in Howard.
Down 7-2 in the seventh inning, East Knox rallied with an RBI double by Bryar Householder and an RBI single by Peyton Lester before the game ended with a double play.
Householder, Lester and Weston Melick had two hits apiece; and Lester drove in two runs to lead the Bulldogs.
Fanello had three RBIs, and Andrew Smollen had two hits and two RBIs to lead the Cubs.
Cole DeLaughder had two hits and two RBIs, but East Knox fell 3-2 at River View on a Cal Shrimplin walk-off sacrifice fly in the eighth inning in non-league action on Saturday, May 15, in Warsaw.
Lester, Landon Spearman and Carson Steinmetz had two hits each, and Spearman allowed two earned runs over seven innings on the mound to lead the Bulldogs.
Shrimplin and Zach Balo each had two hits and a run to lead the Black Bears.
Fredericktown 9, Clear Fork 7
Trevor Jobes jump-started Fredericktown’s four-run first inning with a two-run double, and the Freddies outslugged Clear Fork in a 9-7 win in non-league play on Friday, May 14, in Bellville.
Kaid Carpenter had two hits and two RBIs; and Jobes, Ty Hatfield and Caleb Sheriff each scored two runs to lead the Freddies, who bounced back after having their 13-game winning streak snapped on Thursday.
Sheriff allowed one unearned run over three innings of relief.
Jonathan Alder 11, Mount Vernon 4
Gabe Shuman gave Mount Vernon the lead, and Jonny Askew capped a four-run second inning with a double that scored two runs. But host Jonathan Alder took control with a four-run inning of its own in the fourth and went on for an 11-4 victory in non-league play on Friday, May 14, in Plain City.
JT Keith started the rally with an RBI triple to give the Pioneers the lead. Alec Schrock capped the big inning with a two-run home run.
Schrock finished with three hits, four RBIs and two runs; and Chase Maynard went 4-for-4 with three runs and two RBIs to pace Alder.
Jonathan Keith went the distance, allowing four unearned runs for the win.
