Boys basketball notebook: Leipsic sets up rematch with Lincolnview
May 21—LEIPSIC — Four runs was enough again for Leipsic.
The Vikings added a 4-1 baseball sectional championship win over Miller City on Thursday to a 4-3 decision over the Wildcats in a Putnam County League game earlier this season.
Leipsic (20-3) will play Lincolnview on Wednesday at 2 p.m., in a Division IV district semifinal at Patrick Henry.
Leipsic scored two runs in the first inning and added two more in the fourth inning while starting pitcher Tommy Offenbacher and reliever John Dewar limited Miller City to one run and five hits.
"Jumping out early — that was huge. We talked about it all week that we needed to get out early and that definitely helped us. Tommy settled in nice, kind of ran out of gas there in the fifth inning but John (Dewar) came in just pumping strikes and got us out of it," Leipsic assistant coach Barry Newell said.
Newell filled in for head coach Darren Henry, who was serving the first game of a two-game suspension for being ejected from a game on Monday.
Leipsic got the quick start it was looking for in the bottom of the first inning when Offenbacher tripled, Ethan Zeisloft doubled and Tyler Lammers singled for a 2-0 lead.
That lead grew to 4-0 in the third inning when Offenbacher was hit by a pitch, Zeisloft walked, Lammers got his second RBI of the game on a single just over shortstop and Colin Niese brought another runner across the plate with a sacrifice fly.
Lammers went 2 for 3 and drove in two runs. "He's had a great year. He has come through for us a lot with guys on base late in the season," Newell said.
Miller City coach Dusty Pester said, "We didn't make the plays early that we needed to make.
"We didn't do anything at the plate and you're not going to win many games if you don't put the ball in play," he said.
Redskins stumble in sectional final
WAPAKONETA — Not many people gave Lexington, a No. 9 seed that finished sixth in its league, much of a chance against No. 2 seeded Wapakoneta, which shared the Western Buckeye League championship, in their Division II baseball sectional final Friday.
Maybe they should have. The Minutemen looked the part of a team that was better than its record when they upset Wapakoneta 6-2 on the Redskins' home turf.
"Seven of our losses have been by one run and a couple of others were by two runs. In our conference (Ohio Cardinal Conference) we play a lot of Division I schools and we play some D-I schools in non-conference games. So, I think we're better than our record shows," Lexington coach Jeff Strickler said.
"We're starting to put things together and we've been slowly doing that over the last couple weeks," he said. "They know that they can play against anybody. Now we're starting to get the W's."
Wapakoneta led only once in the game. That happened when Zac Niekamp launched a two-run home run over the left-field fence in the home half of the fifth inning to put his team up 2-1.
"That was a huge momentum swing. Zac came up huge there. It was the biggest hit of his career. He absolutely tattooed that," Wapakoneta coach Jason Brandt said.
Unfortunately for Wapakoneta that momentum had a short shelf life. Lexington sent nine batters to the plate in the top of the sixth inning, scored three runs to take a 4-2 lead and led the rest of the way.
Lexington's Cooper Dreibelbis, the Minutemen's No. 2 pitcher, threw a complete game four-hitter. Lexington got seven hits off Wapakoneta pitchers Taylor Echols and Grant Jolly but the damage done by those hits was magnified by the four errors charged to Wapakoneta's defense.
"It's disappointing. We didn't play well defensively today and errors led to their runs. That's kind of been our downfall this year. When we've lost some games this year it's been because of errors," Brandt said.
Wapakoneta finished its season 14-6.
Big arms
—Braylon Metzger of Delphos St. John's went six innings and gave up just one earned run in an 8-3 sectional semifinal win over Continental.
—Owen Cavelage of Fort Jennings picked up the save in a 4-2 sectional semifinal win over Delphos Jefferson.
—Hunter Scott of Perry threw all seven innings and struck out 13 batters in a 3-0 sectional semifinal win over New Knoxville.
—JJ Schnieders of LCC threw a complete game and struck out 17 batters in a 5-1 sectional semifinal win over Temple Christian.
—Ryan McGue of Elida went 7 2/3 innings, allowed one earned run on five hits and struck out 12 batters in a 3-2 sectional semifinal loss to Bath.
—Cameron Elwer of Delphos St. John's threw a no-hitter in a 3-0 sectional final win over Ayersville.
—Kasey Gross of St. Marys tossed a complete game in a 2-1 sectional final win over Celina.
—Brandon Griffith of Lima Senior threw a complete game and didn't allow an earned run in a 6-3 win over Bowsher in the first round of the Toledo City League tournament.
Big bats
—Jonny Pester of Miller City went 4 for 4 with four RBI in a 12-2 sectional semifinal win over Holgate.
—Will Otto went 2 for 4 with three RBI in a 12-2 sectional semifinal win over Holgate.
—Jayden Pitney of Continental went 3 for 4 with two extra-base hits in an 8-3 sectional semifinal win over Continental.
—Jayden Saxton of Ottoville went 2 for 3 with three RBI in a 10-5 sectional semifinal win over Kalida.
—Bubba Smith of Kalida recorded three hits and one RBI in a 10-5 sectional semifinal loss to Ottoville.
—Zach Welsch of Bath went 3 for 5 with two RBI and hit a walk-off single in a 3-2 sectional semifinal win over Elida.
—Ryan McGue of Elida went 3 for 5 in a 3-2 sectional semifinal loss to Bath.
—Carson Gilchriest of Fort Jennings had three hits in a 5-1 sectional final loss to Patrick Henry.
—Calvin Menke of Fort Jennings had three hits in a 5-1 sectional final loss to Patrick Henry.
Home run club
—Cameron Elwer hit a solo home run in an 8-3 sectional semifinal win over Continental.
BASEBALL RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Division II Sectional Final
Clear Fork 3, Bath 0
Lexington 6, Wapakoneta 2
St. Marys 2, Celina 1
Bryan 9, Van Wert 5
Defiance 12, Fostoria 2
Division III Sectional Final
Coldwater 11, Bluffton 1
Eastwood 7, Allen East 0
Regular Season
Leipsic 15, Ottoville 2
Perry 15, Lima Senior 13
Monday
Divison II District Semifinal
Versailles 8, Anna 0
Toledo City League Tournament
Lima Senior 6, Bowsher 3
Regular Season
Whitmer 13, Defiance 1
Marion Local 17, St. Marys 3
Coldwater 4, Fort Recovery 2
Lincolnview 4, Parkway 3
Mohawk 12, Hardin Northern 3
Tuesday
Games ended after The Lima News deadline. Find scores, game stories, photos and more on LimaScores.com.
Heritage at Lincolnview, 5:15 p.m.
Wednesday
Division IV District Semifinals
Marion Local vs Minster, 5 p.m.
Parkway vs Fort Recovery, 7:30 p.m.
Lincolnview vs Leipsic, 2 p.m.
Delphos St. John's vs Patrick Henry, 5 p.m.
McComb vs Hardin Northern, 2 p.m.
Thursday
Division II District Semifinal
Lexington vs St. Marys, 5 p.m.
Maumee vs Defiance, 6:30 p.m.
Division III District Semifinal
Eastwood vs Coldwater, 2 p.m.
SOFTBALL RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Friday
Division IV District Final
Lincolnview 12, Patrick Henry 0
Saturday
Division III District Final
Coldwater 13, Parkway 8
Wednesday
Division IV District Semifinal
Carey vs Lincolnview, 2 p.m.
Minster vs Fayetteville-Perry, 5 p.m.
West Jefferson vs Coldwater, 2 p.m.
