Jay baseball beats Bellmont

The Patriots were already ahead going into the sixth inning.

They put the game away with five more runs.

Jay County High School’s baseball team scored five times in the sixth inning Thursday in a 7-1 victory over sectional rival Bellmont at Don E. Selvey Field. 

It was the eighth consecutive win for Jay County (16-5), which plays in the Richmond Invitational tonight and Saturday.

Following a Mitchel Frasher single and back-to-back walks from Cole Stigleman and Ryan Schlechty, Moser drew a free pass with bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth to make it 3-1 Patriots, and Ethan Myers singled in Stigleman for a 4-1 advantage.

Myers’ single pushed his hitting streak to 10 straight games.

Schlechty and Moser scored on passed balls, and Michael Schlechty hit a sacrifice fly to score Caleb Webster, Myers’ courtesy runner.

Noah Arbuckle and Moser finished with two hits each, and Daniel Fugiett also had a single.

Ryan Schlechty got the win, scattering four hits in five innings. He allowed one earned run, struck out eight and walked four.



Stars beat Panthers

MARION — The South Adams baseball team entered the final weekend of the regular season with a 6-1 win against the host Eastbrook Panthers on Thursday.

South Adams (22-2), the top-ranked team in Class 2A, scored twice in the first inning on a fielding error and a sacrifice fly.

After Eastbrook cut the lead to just one in the third inning, Joe Stuber pushed the margin back to two runs by scoring on a double steal in the fifth inning.

Stuber then hit a two-run single to highlight a three-run sixth for the Starfires, who take on Northeastern for a doubleheader Saturday.

Stuber’s two hits and two RBIs paced South Adams, which also got singles from James Arnold and Keagan Yoder.

Collin Shaffer earned the win, allowing one earned run on four hits in five innings of work. He struck out seven and walked a pair.



Season ends for SA

OSSIAN — South Adams’ girls tennis team had its season end Thursday with a 3-2 loss to host Norwell in the sectional semifinal.

The Knights advance to the sectional championship against Huntington North at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Julia Grabau, a senior, finished her year 17-0 at No. 2 doubles as she defeated Molly Burton 6-3, 6-2. At No. 3 singles, Hannah Dull defeated Grace White 6-2, 6-1 to end the year at 15-2.

At No. 1 singles, Haley Gerber fell to Breann Barger 6-1, 6-1, as she was 8-9 for the season.

Breanna Potts and Jade Farlow (12-5) lost to Madison Oaks and Sadie Mann 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 doubles. Katrina Fosnaugh and Cassie Yoder (11-6) dropped their No. 2 doubles match to Abigail Hoover and Ashlee Zayyachack 6-4, 6-4.

Jay tops Knights

FOUNTAIN CITY — Two runs in the second inning were all the Jay County softball team needed to beat the host Northeastern Knights 3-1 on Thursday. 

Jay County (11-6), which hosts Richmond tonight, scored twice in the top of the scond inning. The Knights plated a run in their half of the frame before Jay County put up an insurance run in the top of the fifth.

The Patriots racked up 14 hits, led by Emily?Corn’s three-hit effort. Maggie Pryor had two hits and a pair of RBIs, while Kady Finnerty and Aubrie Schwieterman also knocked a couple singles.

Kaylee Inman,?Gwen Butcher, Chloe Trissel and Hannah Phillips all had one hit apiece.



Patriots rally

HARTFORD CITY — Jay County’s junior varsity baseball team rallied to beat the host Blackford Bruins on Thursday, 8-6.

The Patriots trailed 6-3 after four innings, but scored three times in the top of the fifth to tie the game and added the go-ahead runs one inning later.

Christian King led Jay County with three hits at the plate. Austin Curts had a pair of hits, as Matthew Minnich, Michael Stevens, Cameron Henry and Brayden Sprunger each had one hit.



Stars fall

BERNE — An early deficit was too much to overcome for the South Adams junior varsity baseball team in a 5-2 loss to the Bluffton Tigers on Thursday.

Bluffton scored three times in the first inning before South Adams plated a run in each of the third and fourth innings. The Tigers added two insurance runs in the top of the seventh.

Tim Davidson led the Starfires with a double and an RBI, and Andrew Smitley chipped in a single and an RBI. Luke Yoder, Aaron Timmons and Nick Miller also had singles for SAHS.

Cameron Pogue threw all seven innings, allowing five runs — three earned — on eight hits. He struck out four.



Loy’s beats Local

Loy’s Realty earned a 15-8 victory over Local 1620 in Portland Junior League’s Sandy Koufax division on Thursday.

Sebastian Jones led Loy’s with a double and two singles, while Cam Hoover collected a double and a single. Juan Pablo Wiggins and Javy Sargent chipped in two singles each.

Gaven Myers hit a home run and a single for Local in the loss. Logan Ballard tallied two doubles as Conner Specht doubled and singled.