Curts, Patriots beat Blackford

HARTFORD CITY — Austin Curts and Ethan Morris were locked in a dual for six innings.

They combined for 14 strikeouts, only allowed four hits and walked just one batter.

Curts kept his dominance going. The Patriots finally got to Morris.

Three singles and a balk helped the Jay County High School baseball team score three runs in the seventh inning in a 3-1 win over the Blackford Bruins on Tuesday.

Kess McBride hit an RBI single and Dusty Pearson knocked in a run to break a scoreless tie with two outs in the seventh inning. A Morris balk allowed the final run to come home for the Patriots (11-7). Blackford scored in the bottom of the seventh but couldn’t tie the game.

Sam Dunlavy led the JCHS offense with two hits, and Gavin Myers also had a single.

Curts gave up just one unearned run on two hits in the complete-game win. He struck out 13 and didn’t issue a walk.

Morris also threw seven innings. He fanned four, walked one and gave up three earned runs on six Patriot hits.



Tennis blanked

ALEXANDRIA — Jay County’s girls tennis team came up empty in a 5-0 loss to the Alexandria-Monroe Tigers on Tuesday.

Grace Brewster lost her No. 1 singles match to Reiley Hiser 6-0, 6-0, and Lyric Garringer fell to Gracyn Hosier at No. 2 singles 6-0, 6-2. Brenna Haines dropped a 6-2, 6-1 No. 3 singles contest to Rylee Pyle.

Jay County’s No. 1 doubles team of Madison Dirksen and Rachel Muhlenkamp lost to Carlie Remington and Taylor Stinefield 6-0, 6-1, while Lauren Dungan and Ally Honeycutt handed Jay County’s No. 2 doubles squad of Lilly Hedges and Holly Hemmelgarn a 7-6 (7-5), 6-0 defeat.