Softball builds on strong start

MARION — The Patriots started the season off on the right foot.

They built upon it thanks to a strong offensive effort at the top of the order.

Mady Fraley put together a strong offensive performance for the Jay County High School softball team that beat the Eastbrook Panther 15-0 after just five innings on Tuesday.

Fraley ended with three hits, three runs and four RBIs to lead the Patriots (3-0). The highlight of her day was a two-run home run in the fifth inning.

Mallory Winner also smashed a home run, hers coming in the third inning and plating three runs. Winner secured the victory in the circle, throwing three shutout innings without giving up a hit, while striking four hitters out.

Only three of the Panthers (0-1) reached base in the entire game.

JCHS smashed five other extra base hits. Hallie Schwieterman legged out an RBI triple, while Jozey Shimp added a pair of doubles. Cali Yates and Carley Trinidad also hit doubles as well.

JCHS scored two or more runs in each inning.

Offense topples

MARION — Jay County’s baseball team couldn’t quiet the Eastbrook Panthers’ offense on Tuesday, falling 15-5 in the third game of the season.

The Panthers (1-0) punched Jay County (0-3) in the mouth right out of the gate with four runs. Eastbrook scored the first-inning runs on two doubles, a single, a walk and an error.

The Patriots committed four errors in the game, compounding their pitching struggles.

Jay County tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the third inning, but was outscored 11-1 over the rest of the game.

The only earned runs for JCHS came from a single by Parker Nichols and a two-run home run by Drew Schemenaur.

Aiden Phillips suffered the loss after surrendering the go-ahead run in the bottom of the third. He ended the game giving up five runs, only one of which was earned, on two hits and two walks in three innings.

Track sweeps

BERNE — The Jay County track teams both took down the South Adams Starfires and the Adams Central Jets in a three-team meet on Tuesday at SAHS.

The boys tallied 66.5 points to take the top spot, while the Starfires finished as runners-up with 59.5. The girls narrowly escaped with a 2-point win over South Adams by scoring 58.

Three Patriots were triple-event winners.

Garrett Hidy topped the sprints for the boys with victories in the 100 (11.86 seconds) and 200-meter dashes (24.38). He also won the long jump with a distance of 19 feet, 4 inches.

Adam Alig also won a trio events, claiming the 110 hurdles (16.03), 300 hurdles (44.33) and high jump (5 feet, 8 inches).

Jenna Dues nearly matched Hidy for the girls, winning the 100 (13.75) and 200 dashes (27.77), but taking the high jump (4 feet, 8 inches) rather than the long jump.

Other wins came for the boys came from Joseph Boggs in the 1,600 run (4 minutes, 50 seconds), Caleb Garringer  in the 3,200 run (10 minutes, 54 seconds and the 4x400 relay team comprised of Blake Collins, Caden Gambill, Oaskar Alart Mateo and Hidy (47.21 seconds).

Other girls wins came from Jordyn Hutzler in the shot put (31 feet, 4 inches) and Kenzie Huey in the discus (87 feet, 1 inch).