Besser still throwing strong

MONROE — Grant Besser finally surrendered a run.

But he continued to rack up the strikeouts.

Besser had his scoreless streak come to an end, but fanned 16 batters and reached 400 punchouts for his career Thursday in helping the South Adams High School baseball team to a 6-3 win over the Adams Central Jets.

The Class 2A No. 6 Starfires move to 13-4 on the year and 4-1 in Allen County Athletic Conference play with the win against the 10th-ranked Jets. The Starfires and Jets meet again in the sectional semifinal May 25 at Harry F. Anderson Field in Berne.

Adams Central scored twice in the bottom of the first inning, ending Besser’s streak of 26 2/3 innings without giving up a run. South Adams tied the game in the top of the third inning and led 3-2 heading to the bottom of the fourth. The Jets tied the score at 3-all before South Adams took the lead for good with a pair of runs in the sixth inning.

Besser, who struck out each spot in the lineup at least once, allowed six hits and walked one in the complete-game effort.

At the plate, Collin Shaffer and Besser each went deep as they combined to drive in five runs on four hits. Nic Stuber doubled and singled, and AJ Dull contributed a double.



Late runs lift Stars

MONROE — The South Adams softball team scored twice in the top of the seventh inning for a 2-0 win against the Adams Central Jets on Thursday.

The Starfires (16-2, 4-0 Allen County Athletic Conference), who are tied for seventh in Class 2A, took a while to get on the Jets’ pitching.

Anna Nussbaum hit a one-out single in the top of the seventh, and her courtesy runner Megan Miller scored on a Mallory Hirschy double. After Madi Smith singled, Aaliyah Feaster scored on an Adams Central error.

Nussbaum got the win, striking out 11 while allowing four hits and one walk.



Two win titles

COLDWATER, Ohio — A pair of Fort Recovery Middle School track athletes claimed Midwest Athletic Conference championships on Thursday at Coldwater.

The Minster girls scored 132.5 points to win the team title, and Fort Recovery was seventh out of 10 teams with 44 points.

A score of 168 points gave Marion Local’s boys the championship. Fort Recovery finished with 40 points for seventh out of nine squads.

Natalie Brunswick won the MAC title in the 1,600-meter run with her time of 5 minutes. 29.07 seconds. She was also runner-up in the 800 run.

Ross Pearson won high jump with his height of 5 feet, 2 inches. Bo Thien was runner-up in discus.