Schlechty, Geesaman power Jay baseball

MONROE — Michael Schlechty used his bat.

Wyatt Geesman utilized his arm.

Together the juniors helped the Patriots stay perfect in conference play.

Schlechty hit his first home run of the season and Geesaman had a strong outing on the mound Thursday as the Jay County High School baseball team picked up a 2-1 win over the host Adams Central Flying Jets.

The defending Allen County Athletic Conference champion Patriots (5-3, 2-0 ACAC) have now won eight straight games against league rivals.

After watching back-to-back strikes, Schlechty put Jay County out front 1-0 with a solo home run in the top of the second inning. One frame later, Noah Arbuckle, who reached on a single, scored on an error off the bat of Cole Stigleman for a 2-0 Patriot lead.

The host Jets cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the sixth but got nothing more.

Geesaman allowed one run on just three hits. He walked three batters and finished with a career-high 11 strikeouts.

Max Moser and Payton Heniser also had hits for the Patriots.



Tribe loses late

COLDWATER, Ohio — The Fort Recovery softball team fell victim to a walk-off steal of home Thursday, losing 5-4 to the Coldwater Cavaliers.

The Indians (7-8, 1-5 Midwest Athletic Conference) fell behind 4-2 after the first inning before clawing their way back into the game with a late rally. Rachel Thien scored on an error in the top of the fifth, and Hannah Knapke hit a solo home run in the sixth.

But with bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning, Maura Hoying stole home to give the Cavaliers (7-8, 4-1 MAC) the win.

Knapke also had a single to lead Fort Recovery with two hits. Olivia Homan, Aleigha Jenkins, Taylor Thien and Rachel Thien added singles.

Homan allowed five runs — one earned — on 14 hits. She struck out a pair and walked one in a game that featured as many errors as total runs.



Patriots walk off

Rieley Brewster hit a walk-off triple Thursday, lifting the Jay County junior varsity softball team to a 15-14 win over Adams Central in eight innings.

The Patriots (2-1) scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the game at 14 ahead of Brewster’s game-winning hit.

It was a back-and-forth game, with Jay County leading 4-0 after one inning before falling behind 5-4 heading to the bottom of the fourth inning. The Patriots retook the lead with two runs in the home half of the fifth before falling behind again 11-8 after the sixth.

Justice Day led the JCHS offense with a double, two singles and three runs. Haley Gillette tallied four walks and three runs. Brewster also had a pair of singles and reached base four times.

Day was credited with the win.



Jay can’t hold Jets

Jay County’s junior varsity baseball team couldn’t keep the Jets off the scoreboard on Thursday in a 17-2 loss in five innings to Adams Central.

The Jets scored three times in the first inning and led 4-2 after the second inning. Adams Central tacked on eight runs in the third inning before adding five more in the fourth.

Jay County scored one run in each of the first two innings but mustered nothing else.

Matthew Minnich had a double and a single for the Patriots.