Late lead slips away from Jay

A late-inning lead slipped away from the Patriots for the second straight game.
The Jay County High School softball team gave up five runs in the top of the seventh inning Tuesday in a 7-5 loss to the visiting Marion Giants.
Rachelle Jackson took the loss for the Patriots, who also gave up a three-run lead in the seventh inning in Thursday’s 14-13 loss to Norwell. She allowed seven runs — six earned — on 13 hits while striking out six.
Chelsea Tighe went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs and an RBI as JCHS (3-4) built a 5-2 lead heading into the final frame. Lexie Gierhart hit a solo home run and finished 2-for-4, and Katlin Petro and Taylor Franklin added two hits apiece.

Girls tennis loses
FRANKTON — The Patriots slipped to 1-5 on the season with a 5-0 loss Tuesday to the Frankton Eagles.
Jay County’s Ashley Caupp and Danielle Chenoweth rallied from a first-set defeat to force a third set, but lost 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles. In the other doubles match, Alicia Degler and Kyla McKibben fell 6-3, 6-2.
In singles action, Jessica Ooten lost 6-0, 7-5 at No. 2, Cindy Hein fell 6-0, 6-2 at No. 3 and Emily Huntsman dropped a 6-0, 6-1 decision at No. 1.
JCHS also lost the junior varsity match 8-2. Rachel Ray won 8-5 at No. 1 singles, and the team of Brittany Stevens and Jill Dirksen posted a 6-3 victory at No. 6 doubles.

Kunkler breaks record
Ava Kunkler broke a school record and Malarie Houck won a pair of events Tuesday to lead the East Jay Middle School girls track team to a 58-42 victory over Delta. The boys tem lost, 83-17.
Kunkler’s record came in the 400-meter dash, in which she took first place in 1 minute, 5.1 seconds. She broke the previous mark of 1:05.3 set by Amber Huelskamp last season.
Houck’s victories came in the 200 dash in 28.5 and the hurdles. Rhiannon Mills won the discus at 78 feet, 6 ½ inches, and Taylor Homan was first in the high jump at 4 feet, 4 inches.
Runner-up finishes for the boys team came from Jalen Ryder (1,600 run), Alex Abbott (800 run), Logan Antrim (discus) and Nathan Heitkamp (long jump).
The EJMS girls B team won 76-23 while the boys lost 68-23.

Selma tops Eagles
DUNKIRK — James Williams was the lone double winner for the West Jay track teams Tuesday, taking two events as the boys lost 62-38 to visiting Selma. The girls team fell 60-40.
Williams’ winning efforts came in the 100-meter dash and the high jump. He also teamed with Bowen May, Seth Trissel and Justin Crouch to take the 4x100 relay.
Will Watson picked up the victory in the discus, and Trissel was first in the 400 dash.
The Eagle girls swept the throwing events with Tyra Westlake first in the shot put at 27 feet, 5 ½ inches and Brea Holdcroft winning the discus at 74 feet, 5 inches. Emily Walter cleared the bar at 4 feet, 4 inches to win the high jump.

Five place first
Members of Portland’s Judan Judo competed April 16 in the Rebel Judo Invitational in Owenton, Ky., with five picking up first place finishes.
Winners from Judan were Lindsey Aker, Natalie Miles, Crosby Heniser, Jordan LeMaster and Brad Daniels. Brayden Sprunger finished as a runner-up, and third-place efforts came from Mallory Aker and Zach Wilhelm.[[In-content Ad]]