BOWLING GREEN — Noah Creed just wanted to put a ball in play.
Ontario’s junior right fielder did that and more on a sun-soaked Thursday afternoon at Carter Park’s Dunn Field.
Creed drove in the game-winning run with an opposite field double in the bottom of the sixth and the Warriors rallied for a 2-1 win over Hebron Lakewood in the Division II regional semifinals.
Ontario (25-3) will play top-ranked Wapakoneta for a regional title and a berth in next week’s state tournament at 5 p.m. Friday. Wapakoneta roughed up Oberlin Firelands 12-0 in Thursday’s early game.
“In my first at bat I struck out (with two men in scoring position) and I got hit by a pitch in my second at bat, so I told myself I had to get a base hit in my third at bat,” Creed said. “It was a high fastball and when I hit it I thought it was going to fall in front of their right fielder. Then I saw his back and I knew it was over his head.”
The Warriors managed just two hits off Lakewood starter Christian Lothes through the first five innings before staging the improbable sixth-inning comeback. Jake Gleason started the rally with a triple to the base of the wall in left-center. Avery Fisher followed with a solid single to right, plating Gleason with the tying run. Fisher moved to second on Luke Smith’s sacrifice bunt, bringing Creed to the plate.
“I don’t think anybody thought we were going to win this game,” Creed said. “We were down most of the day, but we kept our composure and put it all together in one inning.”
Ontario lefty Nolan Hatfield worked the first five innings, giving up one run on four hits. He struck out five and walked five.
“I knew we would eventually score a few runs, so I just wanted to keep us in the game,” said Hatfield, who didn’t find out he was starting until Thursday morning. “Honestly, I like it better that way. I wouldn’t have slept very well last night if I knew any earlier than that.”
Gleason worked two hitless innings to pick up the win in relief of Hatfield. He walked the first batter he faced before setting down six straight.
“I just came in and did my job. Throughout the year I’ve come in a few different times to close it out,” Gleason said. “I just let them put it in play and let my defense do its job.”
Ontario will go after its 26th straight win against a Wapakoneta team that pounded out 11 hits and stole five bases in a run rule-shortened victory.
“The word that comes to mind is loaded. They’ve got college guys all over the grid and they’re the No. 1-ranked team the entire year,” Ontario coach Jeff Fisher said. “Our guys like the challenge. They compete. They’re looking forward to the challenge.”
