May 21—(4) Kirtland vs (5) Garrettsville Garfield

What: Division III district semifinal

When: 6:30 p.m., May 22

Where: Struthers, 16 Bob Cene Way, Struthers

Records: Kirtland 19-6, Garrettsville Garfield 19-6

Kirtland's path: Defeated Columbiana, 6-3

Garrettsville's path: Defeated Cardinal Mooney, 4-2

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

For the Record: It's been a strong season for a young Kirtland team at the dish, as eight of their players have a batting average over .300 with Adam Knaak at the top with a .488 average. He also has an area-leading 38 RBI and also has a pair of home runs. Even the bats at the top of the order like Luke Chuko and Tyler Turk have composed strong seasons. Against a G-Men team that allows on average just over three runs a game, the Hornets will need to have those bats going strong again. From the mound, Gino Blasini has been a strong No. 1 arm for Kirtland. He has seven wins and a 0.88 ERA. But the Hornets also have Trip Thaler available as he sits at a 0.44 ERA. Garrettsville averages eight runs per game and the Hornets look to get a big showing from their arms to limit the early work for their opponents.

Hercik's pick: Kirtland