Captains lead Patriot softball

PONETO — The team captains — Kendra Younger, Nikka Chaney and Lexie Gierhart — led the Jay County High School softball team to its first win Tuesday, 4-0 over the host Southern Wells Raiders.
Younger, a senior, finished with a double, a run and an RBI for the Patriots (1-2), who scored twice in the second inning and twice in the seventh.
Chaney, a junior, allowed just one walk as she tossed a three-hit shutout. She struck out four batters.
Lexie Gierhart, a sophomore, added a double and a run. Taylor Franklin and Whitni Somers each scored a run, and Katlin Petro and Betsy Huffman had one RBI apiece.

Marion tops tennis
The Patriots won just one game in singles action as they fell 5-0 to the visiting Marion Giants.
Alicia Degler and Kyla McKibben played the closest match against the nine-time defending sectional champions, falling 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 to Bria McCarty and Brittany Olson at No. 2 doubles. Ashley Caupp and Danielle Chenoweth lost the No. 1 doubles match 6-0, 6-0 to Nithia Chowattukennel and Sara Lyons.
In singles action, Emily Huntsman and Rachel Ray lost in shutouts to Veronica Sandoval and Ellen Hornett at No. 1 and 2. Cindy Hein fell 6-1, 6-0 to Logan Riddle at the No. 3 spot.
The JCHS junior varsity team lost 7-2 with wins coming from Jessica Ooten at No. 1 singles and the team of Brie McGhee and Mackenzie Overholser at No. 6 doubles.

Devils defeat track
RICHMOND —  The Jay County girls team suffered its first loss 74-54 to the Richmond Red Devils while the boys fell 71-61.
Zach Cash led the boys team with victories in the 110-meter hurdles in 17.1 seconds and the 300 hurdles in 43.4. Dylan Cope added victories in the 800 run in 2 minutes, 18 seconds and the 1,600 run in 5:02.
Jordan McMillan took the top spot in the girls 200 dash in 27.4 and the high jump at 4 feet, 10 inches. Maria Murphy stayed unbeaten in the throwing events with tosses of 37 feet, 6 inches in the shot put and 95 feet, 1 inch in the discus.
Other individual wins for the boys came from Brad Leuthold (400 dash), Austin Bentz (3,200 run) and Raistlen Rice (high jump). Amber Huelskamp won the 400 dash for the girls team.

JV baseball rolls
BERNE — Jason Houston powered the Patriots to a 13-5 victory over the host South Adams Starfires.
Houston had two hits, including a triple, three runs and an RBI for Jay County, which scored nine times in the final two innings. Jon Lowe added a single, two runs and an RBI, and Blake Baughman had a hit, a run and an RBI.
Wesley Hibbard earned the win, as he struck out three batters in four innings. Ravi Patel chipped in five strikeouts in three innings of relief.

Houck leads EJ
Malarie Houck was the lone double winner as the East Jay Middle School track teams defeated Muncie Northside Tuesday. The girls team won 76-24 while the boys scored a 57-44 victory.
Houck’s first-place efforts were in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 17.4 seconds and the long jump at 15 feet, 2½ inches. Other victories for the girls team came from Emi Minnich (1,600 run), Ava Kunkler (400 dash), Abby Saxman (800 run), Rhianon Mills (shot put), Sydney Robbins (discus) and a tie between Emma Laux and Lizzy Schoenlein (high jump).
Jalen Ryder won the 1,600 run for the boys team by more than 30 seconds in 5 minutes, 53 seconds. Adding wins were Ian Bentz (100 hurdles), Michael Vanover (400 dash), Alex Abbott (800 run) and Wil Rowles (high jump).
Abby Reier and Asha Eicher each won two events for the girls B team, which won 85-5. The boys B team scored a 43-29 victory.[[In-content Ad]]