In the opening games of the Sr. ACME double elimination District Tournament, the Bellefontaine Chieftians and Benjamin Logan Raiders both cruised to 10-0 run-rule victories.
Sr. Acme District Tournament
Bellefontaine 10, Fairbanks 0 (5 innings)
Bellefontaine opened tournament play in dominant fashion, blanking Fairbanks 10-0 in five innings behind a complete-game shutout from Aiden Smith and a balanced offensive attack.
Smith set the tone immediately, retiring the Panthers on just 11 pitches in the first inning while allowing only a two-out single. He worked around a walk and a single in the second before stranding both runners with an inning-ending groundout.
The Chieftains broke the game open in the bottom of the second. Lincoln Banta and Ean Fultz opened the inning with back-to-back singles before consecutive groundouts moved both runners into scoring position. Nicholas Beair delivered a two-out RBI single to center to score Banta, and Smith followed with a ground ball that resulted in a pair of Fairbanks errors, allowing two more runs to score.
Maddox Miller added an RBI single to bring home Smith, and later in the inning Sammy Kline doubled to left field to score Miller as Bellefontaine built a 5-0 advantage.
Smith continued to dominate on the mound. He escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third by striking out the final two batters of the inning before recording a perfect fourth inning that ended with another strikeout.
Bellefontaine added four more runs in the fourth. Beair led off with a double, Smith singled, and Miller walked to load the bases. Sutton Daring reached on a fielder’s choice before Kline lifted a sacrifice fly to center for the sixth run. Aven Caudill then ripped a two-run double, and Banta followed with an RBI single to stretch the lead to 9-0.
Smith finished off his shutout by working around two leadoff walks in the fifth, inducing an infield fly, picking a runner off first base and recording a flyout to end the inning. He tossed all five innings, allowing four hits and four walks while striking out three.
The Chieftains ended the game in the bottom of the fifth. Smith delivered an RBI single to left field that scored Hayden Shreve, giving Bellefontaine the 10-run victory.
Kline and Caudill each drove in two runs to lead the offense. Banta, Beair, and Smith collected two hits apiece, while Banta, Beair, Smith, and Miller each finished with one RBI.
Benjamin Logan 10, Triad 0 (5 innings)
Benjamin Logan opened District Tournament play in impressive fashion Wednesday, rolling past Triad 10-0 in five innings behind a dominant pitching performance from Jacob Hawley.
Hawley took control from the outset, striking out the side in the first inning after issuing a leadoff walk. He added two more strikeouts in the second, working around a double and a walk to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard.
The Raiders broke through in the bottom of the second. Gavin Reidmiller drew a leadoff walk before Carrick Spriggs doubled to center to drive him home. Spriggs later scored on a Triad error, and back-to-back RBI singles from Oliver Morse and Xavier Allen stretched Benjamin Logan’s lead to 4-0.
Hawley continued to dominate over the next two innings. He retired the side in order in the third while recording two more strikeouts, then added two more punchouts in the fourth with help from catcher Spriggs, who threw out a runner attempting to steal.
Benjamin Logan added to its lead in the fourth when Hawley helped his own cause with a two-run double to left field, extending the advantage to 6-0.
Hawley capped his outing with another scoreless fifth inning, striking out two more batters to finish with 11 strikeouts over five innings. He allowed just one hit and two walks in the complete-game shutout.
The Raiders ended the game in the bottom of the fifth. Anson Nichols drew a leadoff walk before Spriggs and Roman Williams singled to load the bases. RBI groundouts from Ezra Ramsey and Bode Clapsaddle plated two runs, Morse added an RBI single, and after consecutive walks reloaded the bases, Liam Elsasser drew a walk to force home the game-ending run.
Allen led the Benjamin Logan offense with a perfect 3-for-3 performance, while Spriggs finished 2-for-2 with a double. Morse and Hawley each drove in two runs, while Morse, Spriggs and Clapsaddle each scored twice. Allen also stole four bases, and Spriggs added two steals as the Raiders advanced to the next round of the district tournament.
Now, Bellefontaine and Benjamin Logan are set to face each other in the winners’ bracket semifinal match on Monday, July 6th.
