Patriot baseball thumps Woodlan

WOODBURN — The Patriots got back in the win column in a big way.

Four runs in the second inning and eight in the fifth propelled the Jay County High School baseball team to a 14-2 win over the host Woodlan Warriors on Thursday.

The Patriots move to 14-3 (4-1 Allen County Athletic Conference) with their bounce-back victory following a 4-0 loss Tuesday to South Adams.

Jay County and Woodlan were tied at one apiece after the first inning before the Patriots broke the game open. Michael Schlechty hit a three-run homer in the frame. It was his team-leading fifth of the season.

As the Patriots were out front 6-2 heading into the fifth, they put the game well out of reach for the Warriors. Noah Arbuckle and Quinn Faulkner each had two-run doubles, and Wyatt Geesaman ripped an RBI double too.

Ryan Schlechty tripled and singled, while Isaac Moeller, Michael Schlechty, Arbuckle and Geesaman all had two hits and a pair of RBIs.

Moeller got the win, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out six and not issuing a walk in four innings.



Stars hang on

BERNE — The South Adams baseball team hung on to beat the Eastbrook Panthers on Thursday, 8-7 at Harry F. Anderson Field.

The Starfires (17-4), who are ranked sixth in Class 2A, fell behind 1-0 in the top of the second inning but took a lead it never gave up with a four-run effort in the home half of the inning. A two-run third made it 6-1.

The Panthers later pulled back within one, 8-7, but the potential game-tying run was cut down on the base paths to end the game.

Grady Sprunger homered and had two RBIs for South Adams, which also got three singles and a pair of RBIs from Grant Besser. Nic Stuber and AJ Dull each contributed a double and drove in a pair of runs.

Collin Shaffer got the win, throwing 3 1/3 innings. He allowed two runs — one earned — on two hits, struck out three and walked one.



Jay comes up short

Jay County’s junior varsity baseball team scored six runs in the bottom of the seventh inning Thursday but had its rally come up short with a 14-12 setback to the Woodlan Warriors.

Woodlan led 8-6 after six innings and appeared to put the game away with a six-run seventh. But the Patriots (6-9-1) fought back by matching the Warriors’ effort only to have the rally halted with the final out being recorded at home.

Kess McBride doubled and singled twice to lead Jay County. Darius Esparza contributed a pair of doubles, and Austin Curts drove in three runs on two singles. Crosby Heniser collected three singles, while Drew Powers and Daylen Young each had a pair of hits.



Late surge lifts SA

BLUFFTON — A late surge lifted the South Adams junior varsity baseball team to a 12-6 win against the Bluffton Tigers on Thursday in eight innings.