MADISON TOWNSHIP, Ohio — Mitch Dulin has Galion’s number.
A freshman right-hander, Dulin scattered six hits and struck out six and Clear Fork won its first district championship since 2010 with a 4-1 win Monday at Madison High School.
Clear Fork (17-12) will play Bowling Green district champ Pemberbille Eastwood in the regional semifinals at 5 p.m. Thursday at Elida Middle School’s Ed Sandy Field.
Dulin picked up his first career victory over Galion in late March, out-dueling Galion’s Garrett Kuns in a 4-0 Clear Fork victory. The two matched up again Monday afternoon.
“I threw a shutout against them early in the year, so that gave me some confidence coming in,” Dulin said. “They are a good hitting team, but having beaten them I felt really good. I wasn’t nervous.”
Dulin retired the first eight batters he faced before surrendering a two-out single in the third. He worked out of a two-out jam in the fourth and gave up an unearned run in the fifth before cruising through the sixth and seventh innings.
“He did not want the ball to come out of his hand,” Clear Fork coach Rusty Staab. “We went through and started looking at our rotation and the bottom line is we needed Mitch. He’s proved himself.”
Early Offense: The Colts gave Dulin an early lead with two first-inning runs. Hunter Boyer drew a one-out walk and moved up on Luke Clark’s single. Shane Klenk was hit by a pitch to load the bases, bringing Gavin Bailey to the plate. Bailey’s potential inning-ending double play ball was misplayed, allowing Boyer and Clark to score.
“It was huge to score early,” Dulin said. “It allowed us to relax a little bit.”
Clear Fork added an unearned run in the third when Clark scored on Hunter Auck’s RBI single. Galion scored its run in the fifth when Devin Baughn reached on an error and pinch runner Ryan Lutz eventually scored on Will Donahue’s squeeze bunt. Clear Fork got the run back in the top of the fifth when Auck singled, stole second and scored on Dulin’s RBI single.
“I swung at two absolutely horrible pitches,” Dulin said. “Then (Kuns) left a curve ball up in the strike zone and I went the other way with it.”
Clark and Auck each had two hits for the Colts. Donahue and Mac Spears each had a pair of singles for the Tigers.
District Drought: Clear Fork won its first district title since 2010. The Colts won the Division III state title that spring.
“It feels awesome to win a district title,” Dulin said. “It’s good to know that I have a coach who will trust a freshman pitcher to pitch in a game this big.”
