Patriot softball gets its first win

BLUFFTON — It took 11 games, but the Patriots finally have a notch in the win column.
The Jay County High School softball team earned its first victory of the season Thursday, defeating the Bluffton Tigers 13-9.
The win snapped a 10-game losing streak to start the season for the Patriots (1-10, 1-3 Allen County Athletic Conference).
Jay County scored two runs in the top of the first inning and tacked on seven more in the second for a quick 9-0 advantage. Bluffton cut into the deficit with a three-run fourth inning, and trailed 10-7 after five.
Both teams scored two runs in the sixth, but the Patriots added one more in the seventh inning to get the win.
Sam Twigg had three hits and three RBIs to lead the JCHS offense. Gwen Butcher followed with three hits and two RBIs, and Katie Carpenter tallied two RBIs on two hits.
Emily Corn and Chloe Trissel both tallied a pair of hits, with Catera Gierhart and Kensey Litton hitting one single apiece.
Rachel Antrim recorded the win, and Butcher also pitched for the Patriots.

Golf shoots season low
DECATUR — Three players turned in sub-40 rounds Thursday, helping the Jay County boys golf team shoot a season low as it finished second in a three-team match at Cross Creek Golf Club.
The host Bellmont Braves finished first with a total of 152. Jay County was second with a season-best 160, and Bluffton was third with 179.
Sophomore Collin Haines led the Patriots with a career-best 38, Jay Houck and Kyler Hudson both tied for second with a score of 39, and Graham Haines completed the Patriots’ team score with a 44.
Nick Hayden (48) and Spencer Calvert (55) also competed for JCHS.

Baseball rebounds
BLUFFTON — Jay County’s baseball team bounced back from consecutive conference losses to defeat the Bluffton Tigers 10-4 Thursday.
The Patriots (7-5, 2-2 Allen County Athletic Conference) led 5-1 after two innings, and added one run in each of the third, fourth and fifth frames for an 8-1 advantage.
Wyatt Geesaman, Max Moser, Michael Schlechty and Andy Kohler all had two hits to lead the Patriots. Schlechty had two doubles and an RBI, while Ethan Myers, Jacob Geesaman and Kohler each drove in two runs.
Chandler Jacks got the win on the hill. He allowed four runs — three earned — on eight hits while striking out four and walking six.

Tennis blanked
MONROE — The Jay County girls tennis team lost its final conference match of the season on Thursday, 5-0 to Adams Central.
Kyra Braun and Megan Johnson lost their respective singles matches 6-0, 6-0. Jenna Lehman defeated Braun at No. 1 singles, and Johnson fell at No. 3 singles to Dharma Steffen. At No. 2 singles, Shelby McClain dropped her match 6-0, 6-1 to Anna Burkhart.
The Patriots’ No. 1 doubles team of Abby Saxman and Abby Reier lost 6-1, 6-0 to Jenni Baumer and Randi Bebout, and the No. 2 doubles tandem of Audrey Dirksen and Kayla Dirksen fell to Sarah Liter and Grace Faurote 6-0, 6-1.

JV softball wins
Jay County’s junior varsity softball team defeated the Bluffton Tigers on Thursday, 9-1.
The game was called after five innings because of darkness.
Jay County (6-1-1) scored two runs in the first, second and fourth innings for a 6-0 lead. Bluffton broke the shutout with a run in the top of the fifth, but the Patriots answered with three runs in the bottom of the frame.
Shelby Caldwell tallied six RBIs, hitting a double and a single with a sacrifice. Maggie Pryor had two singles and four runs, and Hannah Phillips chipped in with two singles and scored twice.

Baseball loses
An early lead was all Bluffton needed in a 3-0 victory Tuesday over the Jay County junior varsity baseball team.
The visiting Tigers scored one run in each of the first two innings, then tacked on one more in the seventh while keeping the host Patriots scoreless throughout.
Jay County out-hit Bluffton 7-6, but committed two errors.
Recording singles for the Patriots were Holton Hill, Conner Davis, Garret Rodgers, Chad Funk, Christian King, Jordan Schricker and Isaac Moeller.
Davis took the loss. He pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowed three runs — two earned — on five hits. He also struck out three and walked five.