A LeMasterpiece: Centerburg ace no-hits Elgin, 7-0
Daniel LeMaster walked the first batter he faced and then spun a gem, no-hitting Elgin in a 7-0 rout by Centerburg on May 10.
Centerburg started the game with four runs in the top of the first, and that was more than enough for LeMaster. He needed only 88 pitches, walking three and striking out five in seven innings. After walking the lead-off hitter, the only other base runners against LeMaster were on an error in the second, a walk in the third, an error in the fourth and a walk in the fifth. LeMaster retired the last nine batters he faced.
Centerburg started strong. With one out in the first, Jesse Rings singled, Grayson Reynolds doubled, and Dakota Baer lined a two-run single to center. With two out, Dalton Hall blasted a home run to left to make it 4-0, Centerburg.
The Trojans added three runs to the cushion in the sixth, but LeMaster didn’t need the extra support. Centerburg’s sixth started with an out and two walks. Reese Scott and Rings reached on run-scoring singles, and Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly to right to plate the Trojans’ seventh run.
The Trojans connected for nine hits and earned three walks. Rings belted out three hits to lead the attack, and Dakota Baer drove in two runs. Tyler Johnson and Reynolds banged out doubles, and Hall smacked his home run for Centerburg. The Trojans stole four bases, with Baer swiping two.
Blue Devils score 4 in 6th to take down Crestline, 7-4
In an error-filled game, Crestview broke open a scoreless tie with three runs in the fourth, and Danville answered with three in the bottom of the inning to make it a 3-3 game. The score remained the same until the Blue Devils took the game over with a four-run sixth to win 7-4 on May 9.
The teams combined for 13 errors (seven by Danville) and only seven hits (four for the Blue Devils), and the Blue Devils worked four walks to none for the ‘Dogs, though three runners got on via HBPs.
After the Bulldogs broke the 0-0 deadlock in the fourth on a single, an error, a hit batter, two more errors and a two-out double. Danville came back in the bottom of the inning. With two out and one on via an error, Aaron Mezie walked, and Gavyn Lepley lined a triple to left to score two. Lepley scored the tying run on a hard single to center by Lane Cline. The winning sixth-inning rally started with a Walker Weckesser double. He stole second and scored on a throw that went through the third baseman. Mezie reached base on a third-strike passed ball, and after a ground out moved him to second, he stole third and scored the go-ahead run on the throw that again went off the third baseman’s glove. Two walked, and a line-drive off the bat of Dom Mosher resulted in the left fielder’s error to plate the final two runs.
Danville only got four hits, to three for Crestline, and Blue Devil Lepley was the only batter with multiple hits. Lepley went 2-for-2 with two RBIs and one run scored. Mezie also scored twice for Danville. The Devils’ two extra-base hits came from Walker Weckesser (a double) and Lepley (a triple). Wyatt Weckesser started for Danville and pitched four innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs or walks, striking out seven. Zach Sapp got the win in relief, throwing three one-hit shutout innings with 6 Ks and no walks.
Danville improved to 4-15-1 with the victory, making it 2-2-1 in the last five games.
Middle innings turn close game into 11-2 rout for Scots over Indians
Mount Gilead took a 2-1 lead after one inning at home against visiting Highland on May 9, and that turned out to be the Indians’ highlight. The Scots grabbed a 3-2 lead in the second, then scored three in the fourth and four in the fifth to seal a nine-run victory.
Brock Church started the scoring on a 3-2 fastball with a solo homer to right in the top of the first to give Highland a 1-0 lead. Mount Gilead took the lead on a single, a walk, an error and a wild pitch to make it 2-1. Highland retook the lead in the second on a walk to Zach Schmidt, a single by Hayden Kline, a run-scoring groundout by Luke Cain to tie the score at 2-2, and a run-scoring single by Jon Jensen for a 3-2 lead. In the decisive fourth, Highland pulled away on a one-out homer to left by Cain and a two-out string of a walk and back-to-back errors.
Jensen got the win for Highland. The starter pitched four innings and allowed two hits and two unearned runs, striking out three and walking one. Evan Johnson threw two shutout innings, allowing three hits, and Hayden Kline finished up with a scoreless, one-hit inning.
Highland outhit Mount Gilead 10-6, with Cain and Zach Pinkerton each collecting two hits. Cain scored twice and drove in two runs. Cain and Church each homered for the Scots. Ben Whitt was 2-for-2 for the Indians.
Lower blasts two homers as Northmor downs Galion, 7-3
Max Lower hit two home runs, and Grant Bentley pitched seven solid innings as Northmor downed Galion 7-3, on May 9.
Lower homered to center on the second pitch of the game to give the Golden Knights a 1-0 lead. Griffin Workman followed with a single, and Bentley singled Workman to second. With two outs, Matthew Kearns reached base on an error to load the bases, and Gavin Whited singled in a run to make it 2-0. Galion tied it on a two-run homer, and the Knights countered with a run in the second for a 3-2 lead on a hit batter, a walk and a two-out single by Andrew Armrose. The Knights got some breathing room in the fourth on a lead-off single by Marcus Cortez and a one-out home run to left by Lower to make it 5-2.
Northmor collected 13 hits, led by Lower’s two homers in three at bats, a walk and three RBIs. Bentley, Armrose and Gavin Whited also got two hits apiece. Bentley went the distance on the mound, allowing three hits and three runs on seven innings while striking out six without issuing a walk during a 95-pitch outing.
