BASEBALL
Mechanicsburg 11, Triad 0 (5 innings)
Mechanicsburg continued its perfect season Thursday with another dominant performance, rolling past Triad 11-0 in five innings behind a complete-game gem from Crew Lafary.
Lafary was outstanding on both sides of the ball, tossing all five innings while allowing just one hit, four total baserunners, and striking out 10 Cardinals. He struck out the side in both the second and fourth innings and never allowed Triad to mount any real offensive threat.
The Indians wasted no time getting on the board. Lafary opened the game with a double to left, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on an RBI groundout from Eli Wilson. Conner Eyink later singled, stole second and third, and came home on a Matthew Davis sacrifice fly for an early 2-0 lead.
Mechanicsburg added another run in the second when Liam O’Laughlin scored on a wild pitch with two outs.
The game broke open in the fourth. Drew Lawhorn singled and Avery Foos walked to set the table for Lafary, who delivered an RBI single. Wilson followed with a hit, then Eyink ripped a bases-loaded single to plate two more and make it 6-0. Davis and Bodee DeLong each added RBI groundouts, O’Laughlin reached on an error to bring home another run, and Lafary capped the inning with a two-run single to push the lead to 11-0.
Triad’s best scoring opportunity came in the third after putting two runners aboard with two outs, but Lafary ended the threat with a strikeout.
Lafary finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs, two runs scored, and the team’s lone extra-base hit. Eyink, Huffman, and Lawhorn each recorded two hits, while Eyink and Davis both drove in two runs.
Mechanicsburg improves to 18-0 and closes the regular season with a major test, beginning a two-game set Monday against 17-1 West Jefferson. Triad falls to 5-12 and travels to Greenon on Friday.
SOFTBALL
Mechanicsburg 14, Triad 3 (6 innings)
By Gavyn Heitman, Student Reporter
Before Thursday’s game, Triad honored longtime former softball coach Rick Wilkins, officially naming its home field Rick Wilkins Field in a pregame ceremony attended by family and community members. Wilkins coached at Triad for 25 years and passed away last August.
Once the game started, Mechanicsburg quickly spoiled the ceremony with an explosive offensive showing in a 14-3 six-inning victory.
The Indians struck first in the opening inning as Avery McDowell doubled, stole third, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Bella Batkiewicz.
Triad answered immediately, with Emma Martin tripling before Emma Enochs drove her home with an RBI single to tie the game 1-1.
Mechanicsburg grabbed control in the second when McDowell delivered the biggest hit of the night—a grand slam after Dannicka Lewis and Birdie Wilhelm helped load the bases—giving the Indians a 5-1 advantage.
The offense kept coming. Lewis added an RBI single in the third, while Chuckie Dale drove in another to make it 7-1.
In the fourth, McDowell doubled again before Batkiewicz knocked her home with an RBI triple. Dale followed with another RBI triple, aided by defensive miscues, helping stretch the lead to 10-1.
Mechanicsburg put the finishing touches on in the sixth. Lexi Poland doubled to start the inning, Lewis added another RBI single, McDowell drove in one with a sacrifice fly, and Batkiewicz delivered a two-run single to make it 14-1.
Triad managed two late runs in the sixth, highlighted by aggressive baserunning from Halleli Jenkins, but the rally ended there.
McDowell starred offensively, finishing with five RBIs, two doubles, and the grand slam. Batkiewicz also had a strong day with multiple RBIs.
The Indians move to 5-13 and will have a long break until their next game at Liberty Christian next Wednesday, while the Cardinals fall to 4-15 and will look ahead to Fort Loramie next Monday. The two sides will finish a suspended game from last week on Friday.
Indian Lake 9, Graham 2
Indian Lake bounced back Thursday night with a 9-2 road win over Graham behind strong pitching and a balanced offensive effort.
Makayle Clary got the start and pitched 5.2 solid innings, allowing just one unearned run on four hits while striking out six. Bre Wisener closed it out over the final 1.1 innings, allowing one unearned run and striking out three of the four outs she recorded.
After both teams stranded runners in the first, Indian Lake struck first in the second. Izzi Mackesy doubled to lead off, stole third, and scored on a passed ball. Makayle Clary also scored later in the inning on a Payton Davis sacrifice bunt to make it 2-0.
Graham answered in the third after loading the bases. Sophia Fraley scored when Shannon Stahler reached on a dropped third strike, trimming the deficit to 2-1.
The Lakers got that run right back in the fourth. Mackesy singled, stole second, and scored on a two-out RBI single from Davis.
Indian Lake added two more in the fifth. Kit Miller doubled and later scored on a passed ball, while Brylee Buyer delivered an RBI double to make it 5-1.
The Lakers broke things open in the seventh. Kyler Carruthers walked to start the inning, Annie Rapp followed with an RBI double, and Indian Lake later got back-to-back RBI singles from Davis and Miller to extend the lead to 9-1.
Graham plated one late run in the bottom of the seventh when Brinlee Middleton doubled and scored on a Chloe Owens single.
Kit Miller led Indian Lake by going 3-for-4, while Payton Davis finished 2-for-3 with a game-high three RBIs. Mackesy also had three hits, while Rapp added two.
For Graham, Middleton was perfect at the plate, going 3-for-3. Owens, Malynn Bacher, and Elena Portis each added hits.
Indian Lake improves to 6-15 and will host Tecumseh on Friday. Graham drops to 5-16 and hosts London on Saturday.
Lima Bath 15, Bellefontaine 5 (5 innings)
Bellefontaine jumped out to a dream start Thursday, but Lima Bath answered emphatically to hand the Lady Chiefs a 15-5 run-rule loss in five innings.
The Chiefs exploded for four runs in the first. Cameo Greene singled to open the game, and after Ava Dolan and Addison Wical both reached on errors, Joy Fogan stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and crushed a grand slam—her team-leading 11th homer of the season—for a quick 4-0 lead.
Bath responded immediately with three runs in the bottom of the first to cut the deficit to 4-3.
After Greene singled again in the second, Bellefontaine’s offense went mostly quiet. Bath tied the game in the second on a two-out RBI single.
The Wildcats took full control in the third with a six-run inning fueled by three RBI doubles, another RBI single, and a pair of Bellefontaine errors to build a 10-4 lead.
Bath added another run in the fourth before Bellefontaine got one back in the fifth when Fogan delivered an RBI single, accounting for all five Chiefs runs on the night.
The Wildcats ended the game in the bottom of the fifth with four more runs on five singles and another Bellefontaine error.
Fogan finished with all five Bellefontaine RBIs, highlighted by the first-inning grand slam. Greene was also strong at the plate, going 3-for-3.
Bellefontaine falls to 4-17 and travels to North Union on Friday.
