Molly Sharpe laced a two-out single to center to bring the Big Walnut softball team within a run in the bottom of the seventh, but that’s as close as it would get as Licking Valley — up by as many as 11 runs at one point — escaped with a 12-11 win in the second round of the Division II district tournament Friday in Sunbury.

The 12th-seeded Panthers looked poised to run away from the third-seeded Golden Eagles in the game’s early going. They flipped a one-run deficit into a one-run lead with two in the third before erupting for seven runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take a 12-1 advantage.

Big Walnut didn’t go down without a fight, though. The Eagles plated five in the fifth thanks to RBI singles from Sharpe and Karley Becker and a three-run homer off the bat of Sierra Perry and, after adding another in the sixth, scratched across four in the seventh to account for the final margin.

Sharpe finished 4-for-5 with four RBI and a run scored. Perry had two hits and three RBI and Hailey Krinn had a pair of hits and scored three times in the setback.

With the win, Licking Valley will take on fourth-seeded Bloom-Carroll in Tuesday’s district semifinal at a site to be determined.

Highland 10, Olentangy Berlin 0, 5 inn.

The sixth-seeded Fighting Scots scored six times in the second inning to turn a one-run game into a big lead they parlayed into a Division II district tournament win over the visiting Bears Friday in Marengo.

Highland added three more in the third to smooth out the scoring summary.

Lexie Lewis, Remy Camp, Sydney Cain and Ally Siegrist had 14th-seeded Berlin’s four hits.

Next up, Highland will take on fifth-seeded Granville in Tuesday’s district semifinal at a site to be determined.

BASEBALL

Olentangy Liberty used a six-run second to break things open on the way to a 9-1 OCC-Buckeye Division win over visiting Olentangy Friday in Powell.

The win wrapped up an outright league title for the Patriots, who got a big-time showing from senior Jack Metzger on the mound and at the plate. He tossed a complete game, allowing a run on six hits while striking out five and walking just one. He helped himself at the dish as well, finishing a perfect 3-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored.

Justin Nelson also had three hits in the win while Brian Yamokoski, Corbin Parrish and Brennan Rowe finished with two apiece.

Jace Middleton knocked in the Braves’ lone run in the fifth.

Groveport 4, Big Walnut 1

Matt Evans had a pair of hits and an RBI, but it wasn’t nearly enough as the Golden Eagles dropped their regular-season finale Friday in Groveport.

Robbie Morgan had a hit and two RBI to lead the Cruisers.

Also: Olentangy Orange 10, Westerville North 0, 5 inn.

BOYS LACROSSE

Sam McCormick scored off a feed from Tyson Chapman to lift Olentangy Liberty to a 7-6 win over visiting New Albany Friday in Powell — a win which locked up an OCC championship.

The Patriots led 2-0 after the first quarter and took a 3-0 edge when Mason Spaulding found the back of the net early in the second. The Eagles scored three of the next four goals to pull within one, 4-3, after three before the teams traded tallies in the fourth and headed to OT tied at six.

Also: Olentangy 9, Thomas Worthington 8

GIRLS LACROSSE

CSG 16, Olentangy Berlin 15; Big Walnut 19, Olentangy Orange 3