The Delphos Herald

The Midwest Athletic Conference has named its all-league baseball and softball units for 2013, as voted on by the coaches.

In baseball, Minster senior pitcher was named the Player of the Year.

Joining Niemeyer on the first unit are St. John’s senior pitcher Curtis Geise; Coldwater’s quintet of senior pitcher Christian Schramm, senior Matt Selhorst, junior Mitch Heyne, sophomore Brody Hoying and freshman Malave Bettinger; the Minster quartet of seniors Devon Poeppelman, Jay Eilerman and Andrew Knapke and junior Ethan Wolf; Marion Local senior Kyle Mescher and freshman Aaron Nietfeld; New Bremen senior pitcher Clay Bertke and senior David Zirkle; Parkway senior Brandon Moorman and junior Austin Adams; St. Henry senior Derek Rindler and junior pitcher Jeff Paul; Versailles’ senior Kyle Niekamp and junior Damien Richard; Fort Recovery junior Jacob Muhlenkamp; and New Knoxville sophomore Adam Howe.

Co-Coaches of the Year are Brian Harlamert, Coldwater; and Mike Wiss, Minster.

On the second unit are Coldwater juniors in pitcher Grant Muhlenkamp, Drew Otten and Adam Klosterman; Versailles’ senior pitcher Kyle Niekamp, junior pitcher Craig Langenkamp and senior Mike Rutschilling; Fort Recovery junior Blake Boughman and freshman hurler Jackson Hobbs; New Knoxville senior Jake Allen; Parkway senior Jack Roth; and St. Henry junior Garrett Stout.

On the honorable-mention list are: St. John’s - senior centerfielder/pitcher Andrew Metzger, senior shortstop/second base Troy Warnecke and senior catcher Ryan Buescher; Coldwater - Derek Thobe; Fort Recovery - Chad Schroer; Marion Local - Dustin Rethman; Minster - Brandon Hoying, Clay Brown; New Bremen - Luke Schwieterman, Alex Feltz; Parkway - Jordan Stephenson, Jarret O’Neil, Cody Depweg, Cain Ponstler; St. Henry - Briar Holloman, Alex Post, Andrew Lundvall; Versailles - Jace Barga, Mike Davidson, Mitch Gigandet, Lee Ruhenkamp.

In softball, Kayla McEldowney of Versailles was named Player of the Year and her coach, Mechelle Heitkamp, Coach of the Year.

Others on the first unit are Lady Tiger teammates Madison Monnin (senior), Rachel Kremer (junior) and sophomore pitcher Rachel Wenning; the Minster trio of junior pitcher Kayla Richard, junior Marissa Conrad and sophomore Regan Hahn; the Parkway threesome of seniors Kylie Snyder and Lindsey Walls and junior hurler Sierra Fent; Marion Local senior Megan Keuther and junior Mindy Puthoff; St. Henry senior McKinzie Kessen and junior Ally Mikesell; Coldwater junior Kelsey Koesters; Fort Recovery junior Jackie Fullenkamp; and New Bremen senior Caitlyn Everhart.

On the second team are the New Bremen trio of senior pitcher Kristin Sprague, senior Haley Moeller and junior Julie Brown; Marion Local junior Megan Wendel; Minster sophomore Alexis Robinson; Parkway sophomore Zoey Pond; and Versailles’ freshman Kristin Langston.

Honorable Mention: Coldwater: Jenna Black, Kim Hosbach; Fort Recovery: Janelle Schwieterman, Ashley Homan; Marion Local: Katie Elking, Allison Rosenbeck, Kristi Moorman; Minster: Michaela Goettomoeller; New Bremen: Meagan Brandt, Emily Niekamp; Parkway: Rachel King, Kayla Walls, Ashlynn Henderson, Terra Walls, Olivia Smith; St. Henry: Danielle Uhlenhake, Cara Brockman; Versailles: Sam Kremer, Megan Murphy, Hannah Knopp, Miranda Huddle.

Wildcats double up Rangers in baseball

NEW KNOXVILLE — Jefferson’s baseball crew closed the 2013 spring season with an impressive 14-7 victory over host New Knoxville on a brilliant Thursday evening at New Knoxville.

Seniors Zach Ricker (1-for 2, 3 bases-on-balls, 3 runs scored, 1 run batted in), Drew Kortokrax (2-for-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs), Seth Wollenhaupt (2-for-3, run, RBI), Dylan Haehn, Tyler Wrasman (1-for-2, 2 RBIs, run) and Gage Townsend-Schleeter played their final games for the Red and White (16-11).

CONVOY - If the Crestview Knight baseball team was looking forward to a potential matchup with Minster next week, it sure didn’t show Thursday.

The Knights defeated Fort Jennings 10-0 in five innings in Thursday’s Division IV sectional championship game at the Crestview Sports Complex.

PERRY TOWNSHIP — The weather was near picture-perfect for baseball Thursday night at Perry High School.

St. John’s senior right-hander Curtis Geise was almost as perfect in pacing the Blue Jays to a 5-1 victory in a Division IV sectional final.

“Curtis was really on his game tonight. Most of the year, by the fifth inning, he was over 100 pitches already and we had to figure out what we were going to do,” Jays’ coach Ryan Warnecke said. “Tonight, he had his pitches clicking and he was much more efficient. He had his fastball humming and was working his curve well, too. They really never caught up to him.”

By TIM REYNOLDS

The Associated Press

MIAMI — Knowing his team needed him at his best, Dwyane Wade retreated to the Miami Heat locker room after the third quarter for some quick treatment on his aching right knee.

When he came back, he was good as new.

And now he can rest until the Eastern Conference finals.

LeBron James scored 23 points, Wade added 18 and had a brilliant 45-second sequence that proved crucial and the Heat clawed back from an 11-point second-half deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls 94-91 on Wednesday night and close out their second-round series in five games. The Heat outscored Chicago 25-14 in the fourth quarter to escape and advance.

“I knew the fourth quarter was going to be tough so I wanted to re-tape my knee,” said Wade, who has been battling bone bruises on his knee for several weeks. “I knew I was going to come back into a grind. Our trainers did a great job of getting it taped it enough so I could come out and play.”

Did they ever.

Wade had a blocked shot, defensive rebound, offensive rebound and putback slam — all in a late 45-second span — to help cap a wild night of wild comebacks. The Heat blew an early 18-point lead, then pulled off a late rally to finish off the depleted Bulls, who still had two chances on their last possession to force overtime.

But Nate Robinson and Jimmy Butler missed 3-pointers, time expired and Miami moved on to face Indiana or New York next week.

“Dwyane is uncanny,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “When the competition is at its highest and its fiercest, he finds a way.”

Carlos Boozer finished with 26 points and 14 rebounds for the Bulls, who were without Derrick Rose for the 99th straight game, as well as Kirk Hinrich (calf) and Luol Deng (illness). Robinson scored 21 points, Butler had 19 and Richard Hamilton 15 for the Bulls, who dropped the final four games of the series.

“Obviously we’re disappointed in losing the series,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “But I was never disappointed in our team. I thought our team fought hard all year long. There was no quit in them.”

True — all the way to the end.

A team that played without the 2011 NBA MVP in Rose and dealt with a slew of other issues along the way, was within a couple shots from forcing the reigning champions to fly back to Chicago for a Game 6 on Friday night.

“We’ve got warriors here,” Boozer said. “If we’re healthy next season, we’re going to be pretty good.”

Shane Battier opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to get Miami within five. Another 3-pointer from Battier — over Boozer, his fellow Duke alum — came not long afterward and he connected on a pair of free throws after being fouled on a 3-point try to cut Chicago’s lead to 81-79.

Norris Cole had a pair of baskets, the second being a left-handed driving dunk, to put Miami on top; the Heat found a way to close it out from there, even though it wasn’t easy, by any measure.

Robinson’s 3-pointer with 1:43 left got the Bulls to 94-91. No one scored again, even though there were plenty of chances both ways. When it was finally over, the Heat lingered on the court in celebration. Wade held on to the game ball as he shook a few fans’ hands and he, James and Bosh exchanged some high-fives — the last three Miami players to leave the floor.

Miami will open the East finals at home next week and it’ll be a playoff rematch from its march to the title last season. If Indiana beats New York — the Pacers lead that series 3-1 — tonight, then the Heat and Pacers will meet in Game 1 in Miami on Monday night. If the Knicks extend the Pacers to at least six games, then the East finals would open Wednesday night, regardless of opponent.

The Heat will almost surely be big favorites against either Indiana or New York, though it’s certain either opponent would enter a series against Miami with plenty of confidence. The Knicks went 3-1 against the Heat this season, outscoring them by 11.5 points per game and winning both of their games at Miami convincingly. The Pacers went 2-1 against the Heat, winning twice in Indianapolis and losing their lone game in Miami.

To put that in some more perspective, the Heat went 2-5 against the Knicks and Pacers but are now 72-12 against all other NBA clubs this season.

Then again, given how Miami has played over the last 3 1/2 months, the notion of the Heat losing to anybody four times might seem downright impossible. The Heat lost at Indiana on Feb. 1. They won at Toronto two days later, the first victory in what became a run of 27 straight wins — and the start of a stretch that has seen Miami go 45-3 in its last 48 games.

More than half the league — 17 of the other 29 teams — didn’t win 45 games, total, this season, even including playoffs.