May 21—(13) NDCL vs (9) Marlington

What: Division II district semifinal

When: 2 p.m., May 22

Where: Louisville, 1201 S Nickleplate Street, Louisville

Records: NDCL 12-11, Marlington 13-12

NDCL's path: Defeated Chaney 20-2, def. Alliance 9-1

Marlington's path: Defeated Madison, 10-0

On Deck: The winner will play the winner of Hubbard and West Branch in a district final on May 24 at 5 p.m.

For the Record: After a rough start to the season, NDCL has turned a corner. The Lions have won five straight, including an upset of top-seeded Alliance. A trio of Gianni Spetic extra-base hits led to three RBI. Nick Dietrich and Jackson O'Neil had a pair of RBI, as well, and they hope to keep that momentum going. While Spetic leads the Lions in batting average (.421) and Frankie Clark has been strong in the leadoff spot. Phil Davidson and Spetic lead the team in ERA with 2.29 and 2.33, respectively. Whoever gets the nod will need to find a way to quiet the Dukes' bats, as they average 6.8 runs per game. ... Marlington has been led by a quartet of strong bats with Tommy Skelding leading the way with a .493 average and 23 RBI. Caden Bates isn't far behind with 18 RBI. Pitching-wise, Marlington is led by Drew Simmons who is 4-0 with a 2.82 ERA. It's been an up-and-down year from the bump for the Dukes, and if the Lions jump out to an early lead, it could be a recipe for another upset.

Hercik's pick: NDCL