Urbana 7, Benjamin Logan 0
Urbana kept its winning streak alive, shutting out Benjamin Logan 7-0 in a matchup of two red-hot teams.
The Hillclimbers entered on a seven-game win streak, while the Raiders had won six straight, but it was Urbana that stayed hot behind a dominant outing from Grady Lantz.
Lantz tossed a complete-game one-hitter, allowing just one walk while striking out 11.
Urbana managed just three hits but made the most of nine walks, a pair of errors, and aggressive baserunning.
The Hillclimbers struck first in the opening inning. Carter Houseman singled and Brody Donahoe walked before both advanced on a passed ball. Houseman scored on a wild pitch, and Kevin Endres added a sacrifice fly to make it 2-0.
Benjamin Logan threatened in the third with a walk and hit batter, but couldn’t capitalize. Urbana answered when Colton Roberts worked a walk, moved around the bases, and scored on a passed ball to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Hillclimbers pulled away in the fifth. Endres recorded his second RBI on another sac fly, Houseman later scored on an error, and with the bases loaded, Jackson Stayton reached on a misplay to bring in a run before Austin Hill drew a bases-loaded walk to cap the scoring at 7-0.
Houseman, Donahoe, and Bentley Cordial each had a hit, while Endres drove in two runs.
Xavier Allen had the lone hit for Benjamin Logan.
Urbana improves to 13-5 and will travel to Tecumseh on Monday, while Benjamin Logan falls to 11-6 and will face Indian Lake.
West Liberty-Salem 16, Catholic Central 1 (4 innings)
West Liberty-Salem used patience at the plate and constant pressure to roll past Catholic Central 16-1 in a four-inning run-rule win.
The Tigers drew 12 walks and scored at least three runs in every inning. They opened with four runs in the first, taking advantage of three straight walks and multiple catcher errors. Isaac Sertell scored the first run, while Braden Hershberger and Reese Oder later came home on a sacrifice fly from Jeremiah Johnson and another miscue behind the plate. Brandel Sullivan added the fourth run on yet another error.
West Liberty-Salem added three runs in both the second and third innings. In the second, Sullivan lifted a sacrifice fly to score Sertell before Oder crossed on a passed ball and Johnson added another run. In the third, Garrett Hull scored on a Sertell bunt, Oder drove in a run with a sac fly, and Sullivan delivered an RBI single to push the lead to 10-0.
The Tigers broke it open in the fourth with a string of RBI hits. Hershberger and Josiah Johnson each drove in runs, another hit plated two, and Sullivan capped the scoring with his third RBI of the game.
Catholic Central’s lone run came on a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the fourth.
Sullivan led the offense with two hits and three RBIs, while Hull added two hits. Sertell, Hershberger, Oder, and Beckett Sullivan each drew two walks.
On the mound, Sertell and Dallas Koons combined to allow just three hits while striking out six.
West Liberty-Salem improves to 10-7 and will host Lehman Catholic on Saturday.
Riverside 1, Lehman Catholic 0
Riverside came out on top in a classic pitcher’s duel, edging Lehman Catholic 1-0.
The only run of the game came in the fourth inning when Hayden McCully lined an RBI single to left, scoring Tony Robinson.
Both pitchers were outstanding. Riverside’s Brody Orsborne earned the win with a dominant complete-game shutout, allowing just two hits and three walks while striking out 14, including striking out the side twice.
Lehman Catholic’s Jack Williams was nearly as sharp, giving up just four hits and two walks while striking out two. The lone run he allowed was unearned.
Offense was limited on both sides, with few runners advancing into scoring position. Riverside finally broke through by capitalizing on a pair of errors to set up McCully’s RBI single.
Lehman Catholic threatened late, getting a runner to second in the fifth and to third in the sixth, but Orsborne shut the door with key strikeouts each time and finished the game by striking out the side in the seventh.
McCully drove in the game’s only run, while Robinson, Camden Shoe, and Davis Gross each added a hit.
Riverside improves to 14-5 and will travel to Miami East on Monday.
Kenton Ridge 10, Graham 0 (5 innings)
Kenton Ridge controlled the game from start to finish, defeating Graham 10-0 in five innings.
The Cougars scored three runs in the first, added six more in the fourth, and ended it with a walk-off double in the fifth. They totaled seven hits and drew 10 walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Graham struggled to generate offense, managing just two hits — one each from Kingston McWilliams and Nathan Criosler — and did not draw a walk.
The Falcons had limited opportunities, getting a runner to second in the second inning and putting two on in the fourth, but were unable to advance a runner to third.
Graham falls to 3-15 and will face Shawnee on Monday.
