By JIM METCALFE

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DELPHOS — Columbus Grove got the bats out early and often at Wildcat Field in Delphos.

They compiled 15 hits and run-ruled host Jefferson 14-3 in six innings in Northwest Conference baseball action on a pleasant Thursday afternoon.

“They were hitting bullets all over the field. They are a nice hitting team,” Jefferson head man Doug Geary noted. “We weren’t booting the ball all over the place, that’s for sure. Give them credit for their offense.”

Trey Roney (4-1) went the 6-inning complete game for the victors (14-2, 4-0 NWC), tossing 92 pitches (69 for strikes).

“Trey isn’t a hard thrower but he is a cerebral player; he knows how to pitch,” Grove mentor Cory King said. “He changes speeds very well and mixes his pitches up well, moving them around the plate. He made a couple of mistakes — one a ball chest-high to (Zavier) Buzard — but not many.”

The Bulldogs got rolling right off the bat against Jefferson starter Zach Ricker (3-2) with two runs in the top of the first on an error and three hits, including a run-producing (Blake Huffman, 2-for-5) knock to center by Matt Jay (3-for-4, 2 runs batted in), and a sacrifice fly by Roney (3-for-4, 4 RBIs), bringing in Brandon Benroth (2-for-5, 2 runs, 2 RBIs).

Delphos (13-7, 2-4 NWC) retaliated for one in the home half on an error and two hits, including a run-coring single to center by Zach Kimmett (plating Ross Thompson), for a 2-1 deficit.

The visitors tacked on two more in the second on a walk to Josh Verhoff (3 walks, 3 runs), a run-scoring double by Trent Vorst and an RBI single by Mason Smith (3-for-4, 2 runs, 3 RBIs) for a 4-1 lead.

Grove made it 5-1 in the third, chasing Ricker for Jordan Herron, compiling two hits and two walks, including a bases-loaded one to Verhoff, plating Roney.

Grove made it 6-1 in the fourth on a 1-out double by Jay and an RBI line single by Roney.

The Wildcats rallied with a pair in their half of the frame with two hits, the second a 2-run bomb over the 345-foot mark in left field by Zavier Buzard that also scored Herron, to get within 6-3. It became 8-3 in the Bulldog half of the fifth on a free pass and three singles, the latter two from Benroth (scoring Verhoff) and Jay (Smith).

Jefferson had a pair of hits in the fifth but Herron got picked off first base by Jay to end the threat.

The visitors added their final six tallies in the sixth, chasing Herron (for Thompson) and sending 11 batters to the dish. An error was part of it, as was a walk, a hit batter and four hits. The big blows were a 2-run rip up the gut by Smith (pinch-runner Logan Diller and Verhoff), along with a 2-run liner by Roney (Smith and Benroth), to make it 14-3.

When Roney retired the side in the Delphos sixth, the game was over. Both coaches figured that the count was key for both sides.

“Zach was behind in the count from the start and now it becomes a hitter’s count. You can’t fall behind good-hitting teams,” Geary added. “We hit the ball well, too; we just couldn’t keep up with them. We had a good number of hits and even had some bad luck because a few were hit hard but right at them.”

King agreed.

“Trey was throwing a lot of first-pitch strikes and now, they have to hit his pitch; he can even make them chase more and they hit a lot of fly balls,” King added. “We showed a lot of discipline at the plate and we were rewarded. We needed it, too; we’ve been struggling putting up runs and we broke out today.”

Both teams are on the road for NWC action today: Jefferson at Bluffton and Columbus Grove at Crestview, both makeup games.

COLUMBUS GROVE (14)

ab-r-h-rbi

Blake Huffman cf 5-1-2-0, Brandon Benroth ss 5-2-2-2, Matt Jay c 4-1-3-2, Trey Roney p 4-1-3-4, Brady Shafer rf 2-1-0-0, Kody Griffith 1b 5-0-2-0, Logan Diller pr 0-1-0-0, Josh Verhoff 2b 0-3-0-1, Trent Vorst 3b 3-2-1-1, Mason Smith lf 4-2-3-3. Totals 32-14-15-13.

JEFFERSON (3)

ab-r-h-rbi

Ross Thompson ss/p 4-1-1-0, Zach Ricker p/2b/1b 3-0-0-0, Austin Jettinghoff c/2b/ss 3-0-2-0, Zach Kimmett 1b/c 3-0-1-1, Drew Kortokrax rf 3-0-1-0, Jordan Herron 3b/p 3-1-2-0, Zavier Buzard cf 3-1-1-2, Seth Wollenhaupt lf 2-0-0-0, Tyler Wrasman 2b/3b 2-0-0-0, Tyler Rice ph 1-0-0-0. Totals 27-3-8-3.

Score by Innings:

Col. Grove 2 2 1 1 2 6 - 14

Jefferson 1 0 0 2 0 0 - 3

E: Benroth, Griffith, Ricker, Wollenhaupt, Wrasman; LOB: Columbus Grove 10, Jefferson 6; 2B: Jay, Vorst; HR: Buzard; SB: Roney, Shafer, Griffith, Thompson; DI: Benroth; POB: Herron (by Jay); Sac: Vorst; SF: Roney.

IP H R ER BB SO

COLUMBUS GROVE

Roney (W, 4-1) 6.0 8 3 2 1 6

JEFFERSON

Ricker (L, 3-2) 2.0 6 5 4 2 0

Herron 3.0 7 7 7 3 2

Thompson 1.0 3 2 0 1 2

Ricker pitched to 2 batters in 3rd

Herron pitched to 4 batters in 6th

WP: Thompson; HBP: Verhoff (by Herron).

By JIM COX

DHI Correspondent

CONVOY - Crestview right-hander Venice Roberts stifled Van Wert for six innings, then barely held the fort in the seventh, as the Knights escaped with a 5-2 non-league baseball win Wednesday afternoon at the Crestview Athletic Complex.

Crestview is now 9-3, Van Wert 12-6.

The game started off promising for the Cougars. With one out in the top of the first, shortstop Nathan Stoller swung at a third strike in the dirt and reached when the ball bounced by the catcher. Leftfielder Brant Henry lined a single down the left-field line and rightfielder Tyler Williams bounced a base hit through the third/short hole to fill the sacks. Pitcher Andrew Todd’s fly to shallow left center, however, was snagged by shortstop Bryce Richardson, runners holding, and catcher Ryan Stoller grounded into an inning-ending force-out, Richardson unassisted.

Van Wert wouldn’t threaten again until the seventh inning.

Meanwhile, Todd, a lefty, cruised through the first three innings, throwing 27 strikes out of 31 pitches, but ran into big trouble in the bottom of the fourth. First baseman Jake Harmon led off by smacking a line single to right. Centerfielder Cam Etzler laid down a perfect bunt and beat it out. Roberts’ bouncer was booted, scoring Harmon and putting runners at second and third. Rightfielder Nick Thomas blooped an opposite-field single to right, plating Etzler. Catcher Nate Owens then lined a base hit up the middle, bringing home Roberts. Second baseman Brock Rolsten bunted the runners over to second and third. Third baseman Isaiah Simerman’s deep sacrifice fly to center drove in Thomas and leftfielder Damian Helm’s single to left plated Owens — 5-0, Knights, after four.

By JIM METCALFE

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DELPHOS — Jefferson got rolling from the start of its baseball game versus Fort Jennings on a brilliant Wednesday afternoon at Wildcat Field.

The Wildcats scored nine run in the bottom of the first inning en route to a 17-1 rout in a 5-inning non-conference contest.

“We didn’t necessarily hit the ball that hard but I liked our approach. We put the ball in play and didn’t swing at a lot of bad pitches,” Jefferson head coach Doug Geary said. “Their pitchers weren’t throwing strikes, so we made them throw more pitches. We’re looking to build more and more confidence at the plate, on the mound and in the field.”

The Musketeers (4-11) didn’t help their cause defensively with eight errors and numerous other plays they could have made.

“You can’t beat anyone committing that many errors. I don’t care if you’re 4-11 or 13-5; you won’t win games doing that,” Musketeer coach Eric Schwab said. “You have to make plays, so matter what.”

Mark Metzger led off the game against Jefferson starter Austin Jettinghoff (1-0) with a single to left but was stranded at second.

The Wildcats (13-6) forced Musketeer starter Metzger to throw 47 pitches (22 for strikes) in the bottom of the first. They were the beneficiary of four errors, three walks and four hits, including a bases-clearing double to right field by Jordan Herron, an RBI double to deep left by Ross Thompson (3-for-5, 2 runs, 3 RBIs), a run-scoring hit by Seth Wollenhaupt and a sacrifice fly by Jettinghoff to account for the nine tallies.

By JIM METCALFE

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SPENCERVILLE — Spencerville’s baseball crew started well Monday, getting a 3-0 lead over Northwest Conference over Lincolnview at Mike Whitling Memorial Field in Spencerville.

The Lancers pulled even at 3-3 in the top of the fourth and then the Bearcats finished the Lancers off by scoring five runs in their next three at-bats to grab an 8-3 triumph.

Bearcat starter Jon “Bubba” Shimp got the win with 5 2/3 starting innings (7 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned, 1 base-on-balls, 2 strikeouts; 101 pitches, 66 for strikes) and James Schaad came on to mop up (1 1/3 IPs, 1 hit, 1 BB).

By JIM METCALFE

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DELPHOS — St. John’s went toe-to-toe with Midwest Athletic Conference baseball power Versailles for six innings on a pleasant and sunny Tuesday night at Stadium Park.

Alas, baseball is a game of seven innings and the visiting Tigers scored three times in the top of the inning to grab a 5-2 victory.

“We went toe-to-toe with a very good Versailles team. We were right in it until the seventh, when they made some things happen,” Blue Jays coach Ryan Warnecke said. “We were coming off a disastrous Saturday doubleheader loss and we moved some people around defensively. We were much better there; I think we’ve finally found the right combination and hope we can build on this.”