Boys Best of the Week: Highland stands atop MOAC in baseball
SPARTA —As it reached midseason this week, Highland's baseball team is in an enviable position atop the Mid Ohio Athletic Conference standings.
The Scots are 10-2 overall and 6-0 in the MOAC, holding a one-game lead over Clear Fork. Highland has a home-and-home series with Shelby this week and will face the Colts in the final week of the regular season.
Last week, Highland beat Marion Harding twice.
In the first game, the Scots scored five runs in the final two innings for a 7-2 victory in Marion. Kort Sears and Jace Brooks pitched for Highland and didn't allow an earned run. Jayden Collins ended with four RBI, and Zach Church hit a double. For Harding, Van Dutton singled three times and Nathan Cunningham doubled.
In the other game in Sparta, the Scots held off a three-run seventh-inning rally by the Presidents to keep a 5-4 win. Church pitched the first six innings, striking out six, giving up two hits and no earned runs, while hitting a double and two singles at the plate. Drew Altizer picked up the save. Six players had a single for the Prexies.
Here are some other highlights from around the area for boys sports team and athletes over the last week:
∎ Elgin played in a couple of wild baseball games last week. The Comets beat Hardin Northern in Northwest Central Conference play 10-9 in eight innings as Brody Wood tripled twice, Stephen Castillo doubled and singled, Breckin Dugan singled twice and Isaac Dillon doubled. Donaven Stith worked seven innings, striking out nine to get the win, and Ben Wood earned the save.
The Comets followed with a 14-14 tie with Kenton that was called after seven innings due to darkness. Elgin trailed 7-0 after three innings, then took a 14-10 lead in the seventh before Kenton rallied. The Comets got out of a bases loaded two-out jam to settle for the tie. Mitchell Askew singled twice and doubled for three RBI as Elgin was held to seven hits despite the scoring, taking advantage of five Kenton errors.
Elgin also beat Hardin Northern 8-4 with Castillo and Zayin Stiles combining for a four-hitter with two earned runs. Quinten Harrison was 3-for-3 with a triple, Dillon hit two singles, and Ben Wood and Stith each doubled. In a 10-6 loss to Fairbanks, Harrison doubled and singled twice and Stith, Dillon and Castillo all singled twice. Pleasant blanked Elgin 6-0, scoring four runs in the seventh inning to put it away and holding the Comets to three hits.
The Comets wrapped the week with a 17-2 league win over Ridgedale. Harrison allowed a hit and four walks with nine strikeouts, plus hit a double, while Nash Lust pitched in relief and gave up two hits and a walk, knocking three singles at the plate. Brody Wood hit a three-run home run, a triple and a single for four RBI, and Stiles and Askew singled twice.
∎ Cardington's Wyatt Wade threw a five-hitter with three walks, four strikes and no earned runs, plus added a double and three RBI in an 11-1 win over Danville in the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference. Denton Garrison hit two singles and scored three runs. Kaiden Beach doubled and singled. Dillon Minturn and Wyatt Denney each doubled.
In an 11-6 win over Danville, A.J. Hall was 3-for-4 for five RBI, and Beach doubled, while Wade singled twice. Hall, Merek McClure and Caden Dewitt teamed to allow eight hits, two walks and four strikeouts for one earned run.
∎ River Valley scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to take a back-and-forth 17-16 victory over Pleasant. Leading the Vikings were Hayden Kanagy with three singles and three runs, Caden Doubikin with three singles in three at-bats with four RBI, Brycen Spaulding with a triple and double, Leland Doubikin with a single and double for four runs, Jack Castle with a triple and Carter Creeden with two singles. For Pleasant, Owen Lowry hit a homer and two singles for three runs; J.T. Snively and Trent Caudill hit two singles for three runs; Carver Kline singled twice for three RBI; Mason Moore doubled; Nick Blubaugh singled twice, and Cadence Varner scored three times.
RV also beat the Spartans 6-2. Trace Kelly and Aiden Gray teamed for a five-hitter with four walks, one earned run and eight strikeouts for the Vikes, while Leland Doubikin doubled and singled, Carter Park singled twice and Jacob Hamman doubled. Snively hit two singles for Pleasant.
∎ Northmor toppled the Vikings 11-8. For the Golden Knights, Drew Hammond hit a double and single and hitting two singles were Bryce Cooper, Cooper Thomas and Trevor Brubaker with Thomas ending with three RBI. Leland Doubikin doubled and Spaulding singled twice for RV.
Hammond had two of the team's four hits in a 12-2 loss to East Knox, but the Knights bounced back for an 8-3 triumph over the Bulldogs later in the week. Grant Bentley allowed six hits, a walk and five strikeouts as Hammond doubled and singled and Garrett Harvey doubled.
∎ Ridgedale's Korbin Hoffman hit a triple and two singles for four RBI, and Landon Murphy and A.J. Imbody scored three times each in a 14-13 loss to Temple Christian.
∎ Mount Gilead's Carter Kennon had a big week that was capped with two home runs, a double and six RBI in a 10-2 win over Triad. Nick Garvey, Judah Reid and Hayden Somerlot all ended two two singles for the Indians, while Hayden Pangborn pitched a complete game six-hitter. In a 13-12 win in the second-half of the Triad doubleheader, Garvey had five RBI with three singles, Kennon tripled and doubled for four runs and Gage Baker doubled and singled twice.
Kennon had four hits with two doubles and four RBI, while Mason Barnum had three hits and four RBI, and Gage Baker doubled and scored four times in an 18-5 win over Centerburg. Johnny Martinez added two singles and three runs. Earlier in the week, the Indians lost to Centerburg 5-4. Kennon collected three hits, and Cole Fricke struck out six in the complete game as the Trojans scored a run in the top of the seventh to win it.
Mount Gilead beat Danville 6-5 as Barnum had two hits, Garvey a double and single, Reid a double and Baker a double and the game-winning RBI. The Indians were beaten by Wynford 15-2.
∎ North Union's Mason Bright and Austin Haubiel combined for a six-hitter with six walks, three earned runs and eight strikeouts in a 9-6 loss to Graham. Tyler Krebehenne and John Hughes both doubled for the Wildcats. Graham held NU to four hits in a 6-2 outcome in the other game. Bright and Evan Beery both singled twice for four of the team's five hits in a 7-1 loss to Kenton Ridge.
∎ Marion Harding's tennis team finished behind Elida to take second at the Lima City Tournament that included Wapakoneta, Bath, Lima Central Catholic and Lima Senior. Mateusz Lisiecki was second in first singles as was the second doubles team of Ryan Newsome and Austen Valentine. Taking third were Alexander Lisiecki in second singles, Chord Mull in third singles, and Alex Rice and Sebastian Lisiecki in first doubles.
Earlier in the week, the Presidents stopped Ada 4-1 with Mateusz and Sebastian winning singles matches 6-4, 6-3 and 6-0, 6-1, and the first doubles team of Rice and Valentine winning 6-0, 6-2 and the second doubles team of Raiden Sipes and Carter Rawlins winning 6-0, 6-0.
Harding also blanked Clear Fork in straight sets with Mateusz, Alexander, Mull, Sebastian/Rice and Newsome/Valentine all scoring points. The Prexies were beaten 5-0 by Ontario.
Coaches and statisticians are encouraged to send their results to rmccurdy@gannett.com, 419-610-0998, Twitter @McMotorsport and Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.
VOTE: Marion Star Boys Best of the Week Performer Poll
Cardington baseball's Wyatt Wade tossed a five-hitter with three walks, four strikeouts and no earned runs, plus hit a double and finished with three RBI in a win over Danville.
Mount Gilead baseball's Carter Kennon hit two home runs and a double to finish with six RBI in a win over Triad.
Ridgedale baseball's Korbin Huffman hit a triple and two singles for four RBI in a loss to Temple Christian.
River Valley baseball's Caden Doubikin went 3-for-3 with four RBI in a win over Pleasant.
Elgin baseball's Brody Wood hit two triples in a win over Hardin Northern in eight innings.
Marion Harding tennis player Mateusz Lisiecki was runner-up in first singles at the Lima City Tournament.
Northmor track's Bo Landin won the 200 meters in 23.97 at the 15-team Cowen Invitational in Loudonville.
Highland track's Gavin DeBord won the high jump in 6-4 at the 15-team Cowen Invitational in Loudonville.
North Union track's Lincoln Harrah won the 100 meters in 11.35 and the long jump in 20-4.75 and was runner-up in the 200 in 22.91 at NU's own Virg Rankin Invitational.
Pleasant track's Nick Swartz won the 1600 meters in 4:40.02 and was second in the 3200 in 10:26.98 at North Union's Virg Rankin Invitational.
Voting continues at MarionStar.com and its app through early Sunday morning.
In last week's poll, Northmor baseball's Drew Hammond won it with 432 of 1,193 votes (36 percent) after pitching a one-hitter with three walks and 12 strikeouts plus a double at bat in a win over Mount Gilead. Other nominees were North Union track's Carter Skaggs, Marion Harding baseball's Austin Allen, Elgin baseball's Quinten Harrison, River Valley track's Grant Butler and Pleasant track's Hudson Warner.
This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Boys Best of the Week: Highland stands atop MOAC in baseball
