WILLARD — The Ontario bomb squad was at it again.

The second-seeded Warriors belted three more home runs and held on for an entertaining 11-9 win over No. 3-seed Lexington in the nightcap of a Division III district semifinal doubleheader Thursday at the Willard Sports Complex.

Ontario (21-6) has launched a single season-record 44 home runs this spring.

“We’re blessed,” said coach Jamee Burke, who picked up her 100th career coaching victory. “But we’ve had plenty of games where we score 10 runs without one.

“The girls do a great job of adjusting to the pitcher and trusting their hands at the plate.”

Fireworks

Lexington (13-10) scored three runs in the top of the first on sacrifice flies by Addison Williams and Mariana Molton and an Ontario error. 

The lead was short-lived, however, as the Warriors scored five in the bottom of the first. Brylie Ireland laced a two-run single, while Lillian Gray and Kylie Corwin stroked run-scoring singles and Sophie Schuster plated a run on a groundout.

Lexington tied the score at 5-5 in the top of the second on Alexis Cantrell’s two-run homer to left.

“Our girls battled. They never gave up,” Lady Lex coach Joe Thornton said. “They gave themselves a chance.”

Ontario took the lead in the fourth on Gray’s RBI-single to center. Brinlee Kreger’s leadoff home run in the bottom of the fifth gave the Warriors a 7-5 advantage.

Quinn Patrick’s RBI groundout cut Ontario’s lead to 7-6 in the top of the sixth before the Warriors erupted for four runs in the bottom of the inning. 

Ellie Dawson led off the sixth with her 13th home run of the season to give Ontario an 8-6 lead. Kreger knocked in a run with a single before Schuster launched a two-run shot to make it 11-6.

“They’re a good-hitting team,” Thornton said. “We tried to keep the ball down. They hit good pitches.”

Not Without A Fight

Trailing 11-6, Lexington made things interesting in the seventh. Camryn McGuire singled in a run before Cantrell delivered a two-run single to make it 11-9. 

Leaders

Kreger and Ireland each had four hits for Ontario. Gray and Corwin had two hits apiece.

Cantrell was 4-for-5 for Lady Lex with two doubles, a homer and four RBIs. Kyra Boyd and Mady Taylor each had a pair of hits.

Next

Ontario will play Maumee for a district title at noon Saturday at Oregon Clay. Maumee blanked Bowling Green 11-0 Thursday.

“We’ve only had three district championship wins in school history,” Burke said. “To have the opportunity is big.”