The Delaware Christian softball team struggled to keep visiting Fisher Catholic off the board as the Irish collected 14 hits and took advantage of seven Eagle errors to notch a 14-4 Division IV sectional final win Thursday night in Delaware.
Eleventh-seeded Fisher Catholic broke the scoring seal with two first-inning runs before adding three more in the second on the way to an early 5-1 edge.
Eighth-seeded DCS got one back in the fourth when Sara Schiffel chased Krista Haskins home with a two-out single. The Eagles cut the deficit to two, 5-3, with another run in the fifth, but that’s as close as things got.
The Irish regained control with four runs in the sixth before all but sealing the deal with five more in the seventh.
Katie Neuhart led the Eagles at the plate, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs and a double. Eden Marquis and Schiffel also had doubles in the setback.
Haskins did what she could to limit the damage, but the defense didn’t do her any favors as only seven of the 14 runs she allowed were earned. She gave up 14 hits while striking out eight and walking two in seven innings of work.
Buckeye Valley 2, Highland 1
The ninth-seeded Barons keep on winning, most recently clipping the seventh-seeded Fighting Scots in Thursday’s Division II sectional final in Marengo.
Highland broke the scoring seal when Savannah Fitzpatrick tripled to start the bottom of the first inning and scored on a passed ball an out later, but that’s all it was able to muster against Buckeye Valley’s Liz Hamilton.
The Barons got the run back in the third, and used the same blueprint to do so. Emma Ralph tripled to start the inning and, after Tara Warnock popped out, scored on a passed ball to even things at one.
BV took the lead for good in the following inning when Alexa Richardson led things off with a solo homer over the right field fence.
Hamilton and the defense took it from there. Hamilton earned the complete-game win — the Barons’ second 2-1 win of the tournament — allowing an unearned run on just one hit while striking out 16.
The defense, meanwhile, played errorless ball behind her.
Hamilton, Ralph and Richardson all finished 2-for-3 to lead BV at the plate.
Fitzpatrick had the Scots’ lone hit while Stevie Asher suffered the setback in the circle, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out three.
Next up, Buckeye Valley will take on third-seeded Heath in Tuesday’s district semifinal in Heath. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
BASEBALL
Austin Sizemore finished 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles, Kaden Doup had two hits and scored three times and Brandon Hire and Zander Held knocked in two runs apiece to lead Olentangy to a 9-2 league win over visiting Olentangy Berlin Thursday night in Lewis Center.
The Bears scored the game’s first run in the second, but the Braves matched it in the bottom half before adding another run in the third, five in the fifth and two more in the sixth.
Sizemore was solid on the mound as well, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out eight and walking just one in 5.1 innings of work to earn the win.
Daniel Gladden led Berlin with a pair of doubles in the setback.
Buckeye Valley 5, Bellefontaine 2
The Barons, who already clinched a share of their first conference title since 2009, continued their stellar season with a non-league win over the host Chieftains Thursday night in Bellefontaine.
BV never trailed, jumping out to a 2-0 lead in the first and building on it from there.
Gianni Passarelli and Mason Kurtz both had doubles, with Passarelli knocking in a run. Cole Raile, Michael Franckhauser and Fletcher Holquist also had an RBI apiece while Enzo DiRocco scored twice.
Holquist earned the complete-game win on the mound, allowing two runs on seven hits while striking out seven and walking one.
Delaware Hayes 3, Centerburg 2
The Pacers picked up their second win in as many days, clipping the visiting Trojans Thursday night in Delaware.
After Centerburg plated a pair to take a 2-1 lead in the fourth, Hayes scored a pair of its own in the bottom half to take the lead for good.
Drew Williams had a team-best two hits and drove in a run while Devon Pounds, Brennan Green and Bryden Decaminada scored the runs.
Pounds earned the complete-game win on the mound, allowing two unearned runs on five hits while striking out three and walking two.
Worthington Kilbourne 12, Big Walnut 1, 5 inn.
The Golden Eagles jumped on top with a run in the third, but the host Wolves finished with a flourish, plating seven runs in the fourth and five more in the fifth to close out a league win Thursday night.
Drew Gaskins, Camden Gladden and Zane Sarcheck had the Eagles’ hits.
BOYS TENNIS
The Olentangy boys tennis team did something no other squad in program history had ever done during the first day of the Division I sectional tournament Thursday night in Pickerington, sending all seven participants on to districts.
Sam Routzahn, Dave Vedant and Mitch MacDowell all won three singles matches to advance to Saturday’s sectional semifinals.
Routzahn cruised, picking up a 6-0, 6-0 win over West’s Davitrick Brewster in his opener, a 6-0, 6-0 win over Delaware Hayes’ Joe Molina in the second round and a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mount Vernon’s Jack Staats in the quarterfinals.
Vedant and MacDowell both had to battle in their quarterfinal matches, but both came out on top. Vedant outlasted Pickerington Central’s Quinn Jones 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 to reach the semis while MacDowell beat Hamilton Township’s Elijah Taylor 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to punch a ticket to the upcoming district tournament and earn a spot in Saturday’s semifinals.
In doubles action, Olentangy’s duos of Sriram-Pisini and Sriram-Gerald also reached the semis with three straight wins.
Molina, who beat Marion Harding’s Asa Deeren 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in his opener, was one of two Pacers to win singles matches. Grant Lamar actually won a couple matches before falling a win short of district qualification. He beat Walnut Ridge’s Suzanne Ly 6-0, 6-0 and Marion Harding’s Alex Lisiecki 6-2, 6-3 before falling in the quarterfinals.
Hayes’ doubles team of Lucas NogueiraBalaniuc and Ben Dabe beat a Kilbourne duo 6-3, 0-6, 6-3 before falling in the second round and Gabe Fogle and Ryder Kardas teamed up to win two matches — a 6-1, 6-0 decision over a team from Mount Vernon and a 6-0, 6-0 win over a Harding duo before falling in the third round.
