Alex Kelly forced in the game-tying run with a bases-loaded walk and Cole Barton stole home to send Pacer fans home happy as the Delaware Hayes baseball team rallied for a 3-2 OCC win over visiting Hilliard Bradley Thursday in Delaware.
Barton called his shot, too.
“After the first pitch from the lefty in the windup, he said to me at third, ‘I think I can steal home,’” Hayes coach Ryan Montgomery said. “I told him we were putting it on if we got to two strikes on the batter.
“I walked out to where he needed to get his lead, we got to a 2-2 count and I told him it was on. He got a great lead and slid right between Zach Price’s legs before the ball crossed the plate … it was awesome.”
Caleb Richardson singled to open the bottom of the seventh inning and, after Brandon Flannery came in to run for Richardson, Mason Davis sacrificed Flannery to second.
Barton then walked, his third free pass of the game, and Dominic Byers singled to load the bases.
A strikeout earned the Jaguars their second out of the inning, but the walk and steal sealed the deal.
Price and Byers finished with two hits apiece while Barton scored two of the three Pacer runs.
Matthew Gladden picked up the complete-game win on the mound, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four and walking one.
Big Walnut 6, Canal Winchester 2
The offense started fast and pitching and defense took care of the rest as the Golden Eagles picked up a key OCC win Thursday in Canal Winchester.
BW scored all the runs it would need in the first inning, jumping out to a 3-0 lead before Canal even came to the plate. The Eagles added two more in the third and another in the fourth before the Indians smoothed out the scoring summary with their only two runs in the sixth.
Jake Foster had a pair of RBI in the win while Colton Lee had a hit and scored twice.
Austin Becker picked up the win on the mound, striking out 12 over the course of five hitless innings. He walked seven, but was able to work around each one as the defense played errorless ball behind him.
Buckeye Valley 10, Galion 3
The Barons erupted for seven sixth-inning runs to break a 3-3 tie and roll to an MOAC win Thursday in Galion.
Evan Ulrich had three hits and two RBI and Zach Schneider knocked in two runs of his own to lead BV to its sixth-straight win.
Andy Anthony and Travis Pennington were also solid, finishing with two hits apiece,
Also: Mount Vernon 4, Olentangy 3.
SOFTBALL
Olentangy Orange saved its best for last, scoring five runs in the seventh to rally to a 6-2 OCC win over host Westerville South Thursday afternoon.
Jenn Rubal led the Pioneers at the plate, finishing with three hits and an RBI. Other standouts included Alyssa Laisure, who had two hits and three RBI; and Cami Clarkson, who had two singles and a run knocked in.
Brenna Oliver picked up the win in the circle.
Delaware Hayes 6, Worthington Kilbourne 0
Chloe Barton had two hits, two RBI and a run scored while Amaia Daniel added a hit, RBI and two runs to lead the Pacers to an OCC win over the visiting Wolves Thursday in Delaware.
Haley Osborne earned the win in the circle, allowing just three hits while striking out five and walking one in six shutout innings.
Olentangy Orange 9, Westerville North 0
Zach Beatty and Jack Betz each went 2-for-2 at the plate and Zane Lattig tossed a complete-game shutout to lead the Pioneers to an OCC win over the visiting Warriors Thursday in Lewis Center.
Also: Olentangy Liberty 1, Westerville North 0; Newark 20, Big Walnut 8.
BOYS TENNIS
Delaware Hayes picked up another solid win Thursday, sweeping the singles courts and nabbing a win at first doubles on the way to a 4-1 win over Big Walnut.
The Pacers got wins from Kyle Klumpp (6-3, 6-0 at first singles), Sam Bonofiglio (6-1, 6-0 at second singles), Eric Puthoff (6-2, 6-1 at third singles) and the duo of Danny Brennan and Will Fogel (7-5, 6-0 at first doubles).
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, picked up their lone win at second doubles as Charlie Jaeger and Riley Shumaker rallied for a 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4) win.
Also: Columbus Academy 3, Olentangy Orange 2; Clear Fork 4, Buckeye Valley 1.
BOYS VOLLEYBALL
Olentangy picked up a straight-set win against Westerville Central Thursday.
The Braves won the first 25-10 before smoothing out the scoring summary with respective wins of 25-20 and 25-18 in the second and third.
Aaric Gossett led the way with 11 kills and four aces while Mitchell Postak added nine kills and four blocks, Bentley Azbell chipped in 13 digs and Trent Trees added 15 assists.
Also: Olentangy Liberty def. Westerville North 25-20, 25-12, 27-25.
BOYS LACROSSE
Trent Slavik poured in a game-best four goals while Carson James added three of his own to lead Buckeye Valley to a 14-4 win over Westerville South Thursday night.
Delaware Hayes 14, Dublin Scioto 3
Andrew Lyon, Ryan Smudz and Blake Eiland scored three goals apiece to help the Pacers cruise past the host Irish Thursday in Dublin.
Also: Olentangy Orange 16, Big Walnut 9.
GIRLS LACROSSE
Olentangy Orange 12, Big Walnut 2.
