The Hamilton Heights and Guerin Catholic baseball teams advanced to a semi-final showdown after winning first-round games at Class 3A Sectional 24 at Yorktown on Wednesday.
The Huskies beat Delta 2-0 in the afternoon’s first game. Heights scored its first run in the fifth inning when Sam Allen singled in Cooper Vondersaar. The Huskies added another run in the seventh; Jared Michael batted in Dean Mason.
Erik Malott had two hits, including a double. Lucas Letsinger pitched a complete game, striking out six and allowing just two hits.
The Golden Eagles held off a late rally by Jay County to win 6-4 in the second game. Guerin Catholic scored its first run in the first inning; Will Fremion got home when Davis Wagner reached on error.
In the second inning, GC added three runs. Adam Novelen’s left field hit brought in Josh Schaff and Reel, then Novelen scored after Wagner reached on error. The Golden Eagles scored two runs in the sixth; Cuinn Morrow got home when Schaff reached on error, then Schaff scored after Reel hit a flyout to left field.
The Patriots scored all four of their runs in the seventh inning, but the Golden Eagles were able to hold them off. In fact, Guerin Catholic’s pitchers didn’t allow Jay County a single hit. Spencer Wilt went six and a third innings for the win, tossing nine strikeouts. Cuinn Morrow relieved him in the second inning and threw two strikeouts for the final outs.
Reel hit a double, while Novelen and Will Fremion also had one hit.
Heights is 17-9 for the season, while the Golden Eagles are 10-18. They will play each other at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, followed by the second semi-final game between New Castle and host Yorktown.
HAMILTON HEIGHTS 2, DELTA 0
Heights AB R H RBI
Sam Allen 4 0 1 1
Jared Michael 4 0 1 1
Erik Malott 4 0 2 0
Nate Hulen 3 0 1 0
Brayden Elkin 3 0 0 0
Drew VanOeveren 3 0 0 0
Dean Mason 1 1 0 0
Cooper Vondersaar 0 1 0 0
Joe Mayo 0 0 0 0
Harrison Hochstedler 1 0 0 0
Totals 23 2 5 2
Score by Innings
Heights 000 010 1 – 2 5 2
Delta 000 000 0 – 0 2 0
2B: Malott. SB: Michael. SAC: Hochstedler 2.
Heights pitching IP R ER H
Lucas Letsinger 7 0 0 2
Strikeouts: Letsinger 6. Walks: Letsinger 3.
GUERIN CATHOLIC 6, JAY COUNTY 4
Guerin Catholic AB R H RBI
Braden Reel 4 1 1 1
Adam Novelen 4 1 1 2
Will Fremion 3 1 1 0
Davis Wagner 3 0 0 0
Anthony Ferrucci 1 0 0 0
Aidan Morse 3 0 0 0
Sam Tabor 3 0 0 0
Josh Schaff 2 2 0 0
Bryson Dorsey 2 0 0 0
Daniel Donahue 0 0 0 0
Cuinn Morrow 0 1 0 0
Totals 25 6 3 3
Score by Innings
Jay County 000 000 4 – 4 0 4
Guerin Catholic 130 002 x – 6 3 1
2B: Reel. SB: Ferrucci 2, Novelen. HBP: Ferrucci.
GC pitching IP R ER H
Spencer Wilt (W) 6.1 4 2 0
Morrow 0.2 0 0 0
Strikeouts: Wilt 9, Morrow 2. Walks: Wilt 2.