Mechanicsburg 8, Riverside 1
Mechanicsburg closed out its regular season with a strong all-around performance, pulling away early and finishing off an 8-1 home win over Riverside in a cross-county matchup.
The full replay of the game is available to watch for free on PeakofOhioTV HERE.
The Indians set the tone immediately after Colton Salyers opened the game with an efficient eight-pitch first inning on the mound. Mechanicsburg wasted no time jumping on Riverside starter Syler Clark in the bottom half.
Crew Lafary singled to lead off, Eli Wilson worked a walk, and Conner Eyink drove in the game’s first run with a sharp single to left. Hank Huffman added another RBI on a ground ball to second that turned into an error, giving the Indians a quick 2-0 lead. Riverside avoided further damage with a 5-3 double play to end the inning.
Mechanicsburg kept the pressure on in the second. Salyers singled to start the frame, Avery Foss was hit by a pitch, and Lafary followed with an RBI fly ball to right. Eyink came through again later in the inning, ripping a two-run double into left to extend the lead to 5-0.
Riverside got on the board in the third with a two-out rally. Brody Orsborne singled and advanced to third on a pickoff error, then scored on an RBI double by Cooper Crouch to cut it to 5-1.
The Pirates threatened again in the fourth with runners on first and second, but Mechanicsburg turned a clean 6-4-3 double play to escape the inning and maintain control.
The Indians added another run in the bottom of the fourth when Lafary scored on a wild pitch, pushing the lead to 6-1. Riverside put runners on again in the fifth after Orsborne tripled and Crouch walked, but reliever Ethan Hodge entered and ended the threat with a key strikeout.
Mechanicsburg put the game out of reach in the bottom of the fifth as Avery Foss delivered a two-out, two-run single to stretch the lead to 8-1.
Salyers worked 4.2 innings, allowing one earned run on three hits with three strikeouts. Hodge finished it out with 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing two hits while striking out two.
Eyink led the Indians with three RBIs on a two-hit day, while Lafary went 3-for-4 with three runs scored. Foss also contributed a strong performance with two hits and two RBIs.
For Riverside, Orsborne went 3-for-4 and scored the lone run, while Crouch drove in the Pirates’ only RBI.
Mechanicsburg finishes the regular season at 19-2 and awaits the winner of Cardington-Lincoln and Wellington School in the district semifinals on May 26. Riverside closes at 15-7 and will await the winner of Dayton Christian and Yellow Springs on May 27.
Urbana 5, Olentangy Liberty 2 (8 innings)
Urbana continued its remarkable late-season surge with its biggest win of the year, knocking off top-ranked Olentangy Liberty 5-2 on the road in eight innings to extend its winning streak to 14 games.
This matchup was a classic pitchers’ duel early, with both sides locked in a scoreless battle through six innings. Urbana starter Grady Lantz set the tone immediately, navigating a tense first inning where Liberty loaded the bases with one out. Lantz responded with poise, inducing a sharp 6-3 double play to escape the jam and keep the game tied. He worked four strong innings total, allowing just three hits and two walks while striking out seven Patriots.
Liberty’s starter was equally sharp, keeping Urbana off balance through the middle innings. The Hillclimbers still had opportunities, including a pair of runners stranded in the third and another scoring chance in the fifth, but couldn’t break through early.
Tate Lantz entered in relief in the fifth and completely changed the rhythm of the game. Although he issued three walks in his first three batters faced, he stranded the bases loaded and then settled into dominance, retiring six straight Patriots at one point. He kept Liberty scoreless through the sixth and seventh, striking out four over his first two innings of work.
Urbana finally broke the deadlock in the top of the seventh. Tate Lantz led off with a single to center, showing patience at the plate before advancing to third on a passed ball and wild pitch sequence. Jackson Stacy then delivered in the clutch, lining an RBI single into right field to give the Hillclimbers a 1-0 lead.
Liberty answered in the bottom half of the inning. After a one-out walk and a groundout moved a runner into scoring position, the Patriots came through with a two-out RBI single to tie the game 1-1 and force extra innings.
In the eighth, Urbana delivered its defining moment. Donahoe worked a leadoff walk to set the tone, followed by a Grady Lantz single to center that immediately put pressure on Liberty. Kevin Endres then came through with a key RBI single to left field to put Urbana back in front. A costly Liberty pickoff error allowed another run to score, stretching the lead to 3-1, before Austin Hill delivered the decisive blow—lining a two-run triple into center field that cleared the gap and sent the Urbana dugout into celebration with a 5-1 advantage.
Liberty attempted a final push in the bottom of the eighth, scoring on a two-out RBI single, but Tate Lantz closed the door emphatically with back-to-back strikeouts to end the game and secure the upset.
Tate Lantz earned the win in relief, allowing two runs on two hits and five walks while striking out six. Grady Lantz set the tone early with a strong start before handing it over to the bullpen duo that finished the job.
Austin Hill not only drove in the crucial base hit late, he led the Climber offense with a 3-for-5 day and two RBIs.
Urbana improves to 19-5 and continues its 14-game winning streak. The Hillclimbers head to Southeastern on Friday.
Benjamin Logan 14, Sidney Lehman 2 (6 innings)
Benjamin Logan used a five-run sixth inning to pull away for a 14-2 run-rule victory over Sidney Lehman in six innings.
The Raiders struck first in the opening inning as Soli Hughes singled, stole third, and later scored on an RBI groundout by Adam Tinsman. Sidney Lehman answered with an unearned run in the bottom half, but Benjamin Logan quickly regained control.
The Raiders scored once in the second before adding three more in the third, highlighted by a Parker Yelton RBI triple and a passed ball that brought him home. Benjamin Logan broke things open further in the fourth, with Yelton delivering a two-run double as the Raiders built a 9-1 lead.
Micah Gregg was strong on the mound after the first inning, tossing five innings while allowing just one unearned run on one hit and two walks with six strikeouts.
Benjamin Logan sealed the run-rule win with a five-run sixth inning. Yelton opened the frame with his second triple of the game and later scored on an error. Emerson Carpenter added a two-run double, while back-to-back RBI singles from Hughes and Xavier Allen pushed the lead to 14-1.
Yelton led the Raiders offensively, going 3-for-3 with three RBIs and two triples. Carter Fay added three hits and two RBIs, while Carpenter drove in two.
Benjamin Logan improves to 14-7 and will close the regular season Friday against Pleasant.
Graham 14, Southeastern 5
Graham closed its regular season on a high note, rolling past Southeastern 14-5 to earn its sixth win of the year.
The Falcons jumped ahead early with a three-run first inning. Levi Hollingsworth led off with a single, stole second and eventually scored on a catcher error, while Jack Traylor and Nathan Crisler each drove in runs to make it 3-0.
Graham starter Braxton Reisinger was sharp early, retiring the first six batters he faced before Southeastern rallied in the third. The Trojans scored four runs in the inning to erase a 4-0 deficit and tie the game.
The Falcons responded immediately with a four-run fourth inning to retake control. Kingston McWilliams delivered an RBI single, while additional runs scored on an error, a Crisler RBI groundout, and another Hollingsworth RBI hit to make it 8-4.
Graham kept piling on with three runs in the fifth, two more in the sixth, and another in the seventh to put the game away.
Reisinger settled down after the third inning and finished with a complete-game effort, allowing five runs, just one earned, on four hits and four walks.
Offensively, Traylor and Hollingsworth each had four hits and two RBIs, while Crisler went 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
Graham finishes the regular season 6-19 and will open tournament play against Greenon.
Sidney 8, Indian Lake 2
Indian Lake dropped an 8-2 road contest to Sidney on Thursday.
The Lakers threatened early with a leadoff double from Nixon Lillard and a single by Cooper Hall in the first, but left both runners stranded. Lillard then tossed a scoreless opening inning before Sidney broke through in the second with an RBI double and added two more in the third on a bases-loaded gap double to take a 3-0 lead.
Indian Lake struggled offensively against Sidney’s starter, managing just one baserunner between the second and fifth innings while the Yellow Jackets added another run in the fifth to make it 4-0.
The Lakers finally got on the board in the sixth when Hall doubled and later scored on an RBI single from Jackson Snipes. Sidney quickly answered with a four-run bottom half, highlighted by a pair of RBI singles, to break the game open at 8-1.
Indian Lake added one final run in the seventh as Brady Golliday singled and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Mack Jarvis.
Hall and Golliday each recorded two hits to lead the Lakers, while Snipes and Jarvis drove in the two runs.
Indian Lake falls to 10-12 and will close the regular season Friday against Bethel.
