Regional softball, district baseball recap

VW independent sports

Softball

Lincolnview 2 Patrick Henry 0

BOWLING GREEN — Lincolnview is one win away from a spot in the Division VI softball state tournament.

The Lancers scored just two runs during Wednesday’s regional semifinal game against Patrick Henry, but that’s all that was needed, as Lincolnview recorded a 2-0 victory over the Patriots. Both runs came in the third inning off the bat of Bella Hire. Emme Stevens opened the inning with a walk, then with two outs, Lainey Spear was hit by a pitch. Hire stepped to the plate and belted a double to left field, scoring Stevens and Spear. Patrick Henry had the winning run at the plate in the bottom of the seventh, but Ila Hughes recorded her third strikeout of the inning to preserve the victory.

Hughes allowed six hits and gave up a pair of walks, but struck out 15 batters and became the school’s single season pitching winner with 18.  Kassidy Hammons had two of Lincolnview’s four hits in the game.

Lincolnview (20-6) will face Margaretta in the regional championship game at 5 p.m. Friday back at Bowling Green State University’s Meserve Field. The Polar Bears (20-5) advanced with a 6-1 win over Minster.

Baseball

Van Wert 6 Bath 1

FORT JENNINGS — Top seeded Bath held a 1-0 lead after five innings but No. 6 seed Van Wert scored three runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh to stun the Wildcats 6-1 in the Division IV district semifinals at Fort Jennings on Wednesday (see pictures below).

Brayson Davis singled in Easton Putman to tie the game 1-1, then Wyatt Scott and Davis scored on an RBI single to put the Cougars ahead 3-1 entering the seventh inning. Bath had a pair of runners on in the bottom of the sixth but Van Wert worked out of the jam. Van Wert quickly loaded the bases in the seventh on singles by Finley Dickinson and Putnam, plus a walk by Trevor Halker. Alex Benner drove in Dickinson with a single, then Scott singled home Halker and Putman for the final margin. Putman recorded three strikeouts in the seventh to end the game. He finished with five strikeouts over two innings and allowed just one hit while getting the win. Conner Harris pitched the first five innings and allowed three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.

Griffin McCracken, Putman and Scott each had two hits for Van Wert.

The Cougars (14-12) will play No. 2 seed Bryan for the district championship at 5 p.m. Friday at Fort Jennings. The Golden Bears defeated Wauseon 6-2 to advance.

Wayne Trace 7 Lincolnview 5 (nine innings)

NAPOLEON — No. 3 seed Wayne Trace scored a pair of runs in the top of the ninth and held on to upset No. 1 seed Lincolnview in the Division VI district semifinals at Napoleon on Wednesday.\

The winning runs came on a two out, two-RBI single by Raiders third baseman Johnathan Sterrett.

Sterrett singled in the game’s first run in the top of the first but the Lancers (19-8) tied the game 1-1 when Holden Price scored on an error in the bottom of the first. Eric Rahrig’s second inning RBI single plated Jackson Ingledue and gave Lincolnview a 2-1 lead. Wayne Trace took a 3-2 lead on a Lincolnview error in the fourth. Price answered the bell in the bottom of the fourth by knocking in Ingledue and Rahrig, which gave Lincolnview a 4-3 lead. Chayse Overholt later scored on a bases loaded walk. Wayne Trace tied the game 5-5 in the fifth on back-to-back RBI singles by Caden Sinn and Jack Schoenauer. Both teams had base runners in the sixth and seventh inning but couldn’t capitalize. The Lancers had two on via walks with one out in the bottom of the ninth but the Raiders were able work out of the game.

Overholt, who struck out nine batters, had two hits, as did Price. Sterrett, Sinn and Schoenauer each had two hits for Wayne Trace.

The Raiders (13-11) will face Marion Local in the district championship game Friday at Upper Scioto Valley.