The Buckeye Valley baseball team set the tone with a pair of runs in the top of the first and added on from there to secure a convincing 7-2 Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference win over host Clear Fork Tuesday afternoon.
It was a nice way for the Barons, who finished third in the MOAC last spring (one game behind Clear Fork), to open league play.
The Colts sliced their deficit in half with a run in the third, but the Barons (2-3) answered with three more in the fourth to take control.
Evan Ulrich, Fletcher Holquist and Michael Franckhauser led BV at the plate. Ulrich was 3-for-4 with an RBI and a couple runs scored, Holquist had a game-high three RBI and Franckhauser walked twice and scored three times.
Ben Atiyeh earned the win on the mound, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits while striking out six and walking one in four innings of work. Hunter Moffatt tossed three innings of scoreless relief to close things out.
Delaware Hayes 3, Westerville South 1
Caleb Richardson came through with a clutch two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the fifth to lead the Pacers to a solid non-league win over the visiting Wildcats Tuesday in Delaware.
Zach Price, who started the rally with a two-out single, and Alex Kelly, who walked to keep the inning alive, scored on the play.
Price, who finished with two of Hayes’ (2-1) four hits, was also solid on the mound. He allowed just a run on four hits while striking out three and walking two en route to a complete-game win.
Olentangy Liberty 4, Worthington Kilbourne 3
AJ Rausch and Brian Yamokoski made it 3-3 with back-to-back doubles to start the bottom of the sixth before Michael Atkinson singled home Yamokoski to plate what proved to be the game-winning run as the Patriots rallied for a non-league win over the visiting Wolves Tuesday in Powell.
The game was tied 2-2 until Kilbourne scored in the top of the sixth to put the pressure on Liberty (5-0).
Rausch finished a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate while Yamokoski was 2-for-3 with two RBI and a run scored.
Ben Billings, who pitched a pair of innings in relief, earned the win on the mound.
Olentangy Berlin 6, Bexley 2
Adam Wallace tossed a gem, allowing two runs — neither of which were earned — on five hits while striking out six and walking one to cement a complete-game win and give the Bears their first victory in program history Tuesday in Delaware.
Bexley scored both of its runs in the top of the first. Berlin (1-3) plated two in the bottom half, though, and scored four in the sixth to smooth out the scoring summary.
Jacob Lewis had two hits and two RBI to lead the Bears at the plate. Tyler Euton, Nathan Varner, Ryan Horstman and Mitch Herbst also drove in runs in the win.
Olentangy Orange 1, Grove City 0
Zane Lattig fired a one-hit shutout to lead the Pioneers to a non-league win over the visiting Greyhounds Tuesday in Lewis Center.
Lattig helped himself from the plate, too, finishing with two hits. Caden Konczak was also solid, finishing with a hit, two walks and a stolen base and Sam Till drove in the game’s only run in the second.
