Brock Amelung hit a three-run home run and Colin Bester tossed a three-hitter as the Olentangy Liberty baseball team edged host Olentangy Orange, 3-2, in a key OCC-Central showdown Wednesday night in Lewis Center.

The Patriots (14-2, 8-2) did their damage early, scoring all the runs they’d need before the fans had even settled into their seats.

Mason Onate led off the game with a single and, after Blake Hajjar followed with a single of his own, Amelung homered over the centerfield fence to give his team a quick 3-0 lead.

Pioneer starting pitcher Cole Cahill settled into the game after that, allowing just four hits the rest of the way, but the damage was done.

Orange (10-5, 5-3) got a pair of runs back in the sixth, slicing the deficit to a single run thanks to an RBI single off the bat of Diego Astacio and a sacrifice fly from James Wimsatt, but couldn’t get any closer as Bester proved to be too much in the end.

Bester allowed the two runs on three hits while striking out four and walking two in seven innings of action. Cahill, meanwhile, was pegged with the tough-luck loss, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out three in seven innings.

Onate led Liberty with two hits while Amelung knocked in all three runs. Astacio, Keegan Knupp and Josiah Ross had the Pioneer hits.

Next up, the same two teams will square off Friday night in Powell. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.

Westerville South 4, Delaware Hayes 3

The Pacers scored three runs in the top of the first inning, but the host Wildcats blanked them the rest of the way en route to a league win Wednesday night in Westerville.

South got a run back in the bottom half, scored two times in the third to even things back up and plated a run in the seventh to walk off with the win, snapping Hayes’ four-game winning streak in the process.

Caleb Rowe had a double and knocked in two of the Pacer runs. Tank Tompkins also knocked in a run in the setback.

Big Walnut 13, Worthington Kilbourne 3

The Golden Eagles finished with a flourish, plating four runs in the fifth and five in the seventh to cruise to a 13-3 league win over the host Wolves Wednesday night.

Drew Gaskins had a homer and four RBI to lead the charge. Eli Couser and Lorne Anderson were also solid, finishing with three hits apiece.

Nick Weiss earned the win on the mound, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out nine and walking six in 6.1 innings of work.

Olentangy Berlin 13, Thomas Worthington 5

Nate Hurley and Parker McDaniels had three hits and two RBI each to lead the Bears to a league win over the host Cardinals Wednesday night.

Berlin led 7-0 before Thomas struck for two in the third. The Bears put it away in the fifth with six more, though.

Hurley got the win on the mound, allowing four runs on three hits while striking out nine and walking two over six innings.

SOFTBALL

Audrey Condit and Liz Hamilton combined to toss a one-hit shutout as Buckeye Valley rolled to an 11-0, five-inning win over visiting Worthington Christian Wednesday night in Delaware.

The Baron offense held its own at the dish, too, scoring eight times in the second inning to break things open.

Condit had a game-best three RBI while Hamilton had a game-high three hits to go with a run and an RBI.

Delaware Hayes 11, Westerville South 0, 6 inn.

The offense plated 11 runs to complement a no-hitter from Bronwynn Leighty as the Pacers posted a lopsided league win over the host Wildcats Wednesday night in Westerville.

Lauren Tompkins led Hayes at the plate, finishing with a home run and three RBI. Zee Brown and Maddie Kiss were also steady in the win, knocking in a pair of runs apiece.

Leighty, meanwhile, was lights out from the circle. She struck out 14 in six hitless innings.

Olentangy 7, Thomas Worthington 0

Emelia Dipiero and Addi Hulshof both homered and combined to drive in five runs as the Braves blanked the visiting Cardinals in OCC action Wednesday night in Lewis Center.

Hulshof’s blast, a two-run shot, capped a four-run fourth and made it a 6-0 game before Dipiero added a solo shot in the sixth to account for the final margin.

Candace Walters took care of the rest, allowing just four hits while striking out seven and walking one en route to collecting the complete-game shutout.

Worthington Kilbourne 18, Big Walnut 2, 5 inn.

The Wolves were dominant from the dish Wednesday, pounding out 21 hits on the way to a lopsided league win over the visiting Golden Eagles.

Big Walnut broke the scoring seal with a run in the top of the first, but Kilbourne answered with seven in the bottom half to take control. The Wolves added two more in the second, three in the third and six in the fourth to smooth out the scoring summary.

Madi Clever and Sophie Gurringe knocked in the BW runs.