Recap: Knights, Lancers win sectionals

Van Wert independent sports

Crestview and Lincolnview set up a rematch by winning Division IV softball sectional championships on Thursday, while the baseball teams from the respective schools lost non-conference games, and Van Wert’s tennis team opened sectional play in Lima.

Division IV sectional softball

Crestview 6 St. Henry 0

CONVOY — Kali Small hurled 12 strikeouts and allowed just three hits as No. 2 seed Crestview claimed a Division IV sectional championship with a 6-0 victory over eighth-seeded St. Henry on Thursday.

In addition, Laci McCoy belted a two-run home run in the fifth inning and Breena Grace had a solo homer in the sixth. Katelyn Castle and Mandy Macki each had doubles as Crestview rolled up 11 hits.

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the fourth when McCoy scored on an error, then Olivia Heckler scored on a single by Bailey Gregory. Castle scored on a fifth inning error and McCoy’s home run drove in Olivia Cunningham.

Crestview will face No. 3 seed Lincolnview at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the district semifinals at Wapakoneta.

Lincolnview 9 Fort Recovery 2

No. 3 seed Lincolnview scored five runs in the fourth inning and went on to defeat No. 5 seed Fort Recovery 9-2 in the Division IV sectional title game on Thursday.

The Lancers trailed 2-1 entering the bottom of the fourth but with the bases loaded, Destiny Coil and Winter Boroff scored on a Fort Recovery error, then Makayla Jackman scored on a grounder by Hanna Young for a 4-2 lead. The final two runs of the inning came on an RBI by Taylor Post that scored Andi Webb and Annie Mendenhall.

Coil added a solo home run in the fifth and the remaining runs came in the sixth when Kendall Bollenbacher drove in Webb and Coil doubled in Bollenbacher.

Coil finished with three hits, while Bollenbacher, Boroff and Webb each had two. Bollenbacher, Taylor Post, Coil and Addysen Stevens each finished with two RBIs.

On the mound, Post allowed just five hits and struck out two while walking two.

Lincolnview (21-3) will play rival Crestview at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Division IV district semifinals at Wapakoneta.

Baseball

Minster 7 Lincolnview 2

Minster pulled away with three runs in the sixth and the Wildcats defeated Lincolnview 7-2 on Thursday.

Eric Schmidt’s second inning two-RBI double scored Nathan Oldigies and Kody Richard and gave the Wildcats a 2-0 lead, then the Wildcats added a run in the fourth when Brady Heitkeamp scored on a balk.

Carson Fox and Cole Binkley scored on an error in the bottom of the fourth to pull Lincolnview to within 3-2, but Minster answered with an RBI single in the top of the fifth. The Wildcats scored their final three runs in the sixth, including two on Lancer errors.

Landon Price finished with two of Lincolnview’s five hits and Dane Ebel pitched the first 4 1/3 innings and allowed four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and four walks. Clayton Leeth pitched the remainder of the game and gave up three runs on three hits (one earned) with a strikeout and two walks.

Lincolnview (17-8) is scheduled to play at Kalida on Monday.

Ottoville 8 Crestview 0

CONVOY — Five Ottoville pitchers combined to shut out Crestview 8-0 on Thursday.

Starting pitcher Carter Schnipke got the win after going two innings and striking out three. Trey Landwehr went the next two innings, the Alex Suever, Brice Schroeder and Trae Schlagbaum each pitched an inning for the Big Green.

Ayden Lichtensteiger, Hunter Jones and Connor Sheets accounted for Crestview’s three hits, while Josh Thorbahn, Brice Schroeder and Ryan Suever each had RBIs for Ottoville.

Crestview is scheduled to host New Knoxville in the Division IV sectional semifinals on Tuesday.

Tennis

LIMA — Van Wert’s Jace Fast and Micah Rager advanced to the Round of 32 at the Division II sectionals at UNOH on Thursday.

Fast moved on with a 6-1, 6-3 win over Jacob Garver of Bath while Rager defeated Cameron Zickafoose of Kenton 6-0, 6-1.

Bryce Miller lost to No. 1 seed Gabe Burke of Shawnee 6-0, 6-0 and the doubles team of Ian Cowan and Evan Knittle lost to Daniel Bolon and Ezra Bolon of Bath 6-0, 6-0.

Action will resume Saturday at UNOH.