Runkle single lifts Patriots

SELMA — Senior Christian Runkle has had inconsistent playing time thus far, appearing in nine of the Patriots’ 15 games.

That didn’t matter Saturday when he drove in the winning run against the Wapahani Raiders.

Runkle’s two-out single gave the Jay County High School baseball team its second win of the day in the Wapahani Baseball Invitational.

The Patriots took down Class 2A No. 4 Park Tudor 5-1 in game one, before the 7-5 victory over the Raiders.

(Park Tudor dropped a spot to No. 5 in the new poll released Monday.)

The Patriots (8-7) were down one going into the seventh inning before a walk, two wild pitches and a sacrifice fly plated Sam Myers to tie the game.

Ryne Goldsworthy — he was 3-for-4 in the game — followed the run with a double. Runkle later delivered the game-winning single to center field, and Aiden Phillips closed out the game without giving up a hit in the final frame.

In the opening game, Drew Schemenaur drove in two runs while going 2-for-3 while Goldsworthy added a run and a 2-for-4 effort.

Kade Sommers went the distance and picked up the win, striking seven out and giving up one unearned run.



Bilbrey, Kunk win

NEW CASTLE — The Jay County track teams finished in the middle of the pack Friday at the New Castle Invitational with both teams scoring in the 60s.

The girls team tallied 64 points, good for second place behind New Castle with 84.

The boys team finished fourth with 67 points, behind first-place Connersville who earned 122 points.

Both teams had a pair of victories in the match, including the Patriots’ sweep of the discus.

Gabi Bilbrey took the event for the girls with a throw of 121 feet, 1/2 inch, while Joseph Kunk’s 120-foot, 8-inch throw earned the win for the boys.

Jenna Dues won the 200-meter dash for the second meet in a row with a time of 28.15 seconds, only 0.03 seconds faster than Shanna Rahe of Wapahani.

Rounding out the Patriots’ victories was Isaac Kunkler’s time of 41.07 seconds in the 300 hurdles.



Big innings

Jay County’s junior varsity softball team fell 12-8 Thursday to Adams Central.

The Jets jumped out to an early six-run lead in the first inning thanks to a single from Lillee Dull and a triple from Kotta Suman.

Madison Reier went the distance in the circle, suffering the loss after surrendering 12 runs on eight hits.

The Patriots scored two runs in each of the last four innings, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Jets’ lead. The rest of the Jets’ runs came in the second inning (one run) and the fourth inning (five runs).

Ava Bechtol and Ava Miller led Jay County with two hits apiece.