Triad 7, Yellow Springs 2 (5 ¹⁄₂ innings)
Triad closed out the regular season with a comfortable 7-2 victory over Yellow Springs on Saturday, using a five-run fourth inning to pull away before weather ended the game after five and a half innings. Since the minimum five innings were completed, the game was ruled official.
The Cardinals used three different pitchers in the win, allowing two runs on seven hits while the defense committed a pair of errors.
Triad struck first in the opening inning. With two outs, Duncan Funderburgh lined a single to center and was replaced on the bases by courtesy runner Silas Newland. After Newland advanced to second on a passed ball, Ty Botkins drove him home with an RBI double into center field to make it 1-0.
The Cardinals added another run in the second. Jayden Blackburn was hit by a pitch and Alfred Johnson followed with a single. Both runners advanced on an outfield error before Connor Hayes brought Blackburn home on an RBI groundout to extend the lead to 2-0.
Yellow Springs answered in the bottom of the second with an RBI double into left field to cut the deficit to 2-1. That was the only blemish allowed by Triad starter JJ Roberts, who worked two innings and allowed the unearned run on three hits and one walk while striking out three.
After a scoreless third inning from both sides, Triad broke the game open in the fourth.
With one out, Johnson and Hayes delivered back-to-back singles before Roberts drew a walk to load the bases. Waylin Holtsberry then lined a two-run single into center field to push the lead to 4-1. Later in the inning, Roberts scored on a catcher’s mitt error during an at-bat, and Holtsberry followed by stealing home during the same plate appearance. Alex May capped the inning with an RBI single to right field to stretch the advantage to 7-1.
George Hartman handled the middle innings for the Cardinals and stranded a runner in the third before running into trouble in the fourth. After recording two outs, Hartman allowed three straight singles and a bases-loaded walk that forced home a run for Yellow Springs. Hartman finished with one earned run allowed on three hits and two walks over 1.2 innings.
May entered to record the final out of the fourth inning and later tossed a scoreless fifth before weather arrived and ended the contest. He allowed one hit and struck out one over 1.1 scoreless innings.
Holtsberry led the Cardinals offensively with two hits and two RBIs, while Johnson turned in a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate.
Triad improves to 8-16 to close the regular season and will face Houston in the opening round of the OHSAA playoffs on Wednesday.
