SHELBY — One disastrous inning undid Crestview. The third-seeded Cougars gave up six runs in the top of the sixth and couldn’t recover in a 10-5 loss to No. 4 Colonel Crawford in a Division VI district semifinal at Shelby. Crestview trailed 4-3 after five inning, but came unglued in the sixth. Colonel Crawford had […]
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Top-seeded Galion holds on for 1-0 win over Bath in Division IV district semifinal
FORT JENNINGS — Galion pitcher Braxton Prosser did his best Harry Houdini impression Wednesday afternoon. The Youngstown State recruit worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the seventh as the top-seeded Tigers held on for a 1-0 win over No. 3 Lima Bath at Fort Jennings. Galion (20-7) will take on third-seeded […]
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Clear Fork sophomore leads Colts to district championship game
WILLARD — Mason Ball pitched beyond his years Tuesday afternoon. Ball, Clear Fork’s sophomore right-hander, scattered four hits over 6.2 innings as the second-seeded Colts held off No. 5 Vermilion 3-1 in the nightcap of a Division IV district semifinal doubleheader in Willard. Ball struck out nine and did not walk a batter. He allowed […]
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Sandusky Perkins bounces Shelby from baseball tournament
WILLARD — Kash Koch was money. Sandusky Perkins’ ace, Koch fired a one-hitter as the top-seeded Pirates cruised to a 9-1 win over No. 4-seed Shelby in the first game of a district semifinal doubleheader Tuesday at the Willard Sports Complex. A junior right-hander, Koch took a perfect game into the seventh before surrendering a […]
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Slone fires no-hitter, Shelby blanks Ontario
SHELBY — Travis Slone fired a five-inning no-hitter and Shelby cruised to a run rule-shortened 11-0 win over Ontario in Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference action Wednesday at Shelby. A left-hander, Slone walked one and struck out four. He threw 66 pitches, 41 for strikes. (The photos below were shot by Tom Theodore) The Whippets (11-9, 4-7) […]
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Play Ball! Historic Liberty Park field home to Madison middle school program
MANSFIELD — An important piece of the city’s storied baseball history has been resurrected. For the first time in decades, the crack of the bat can be heard echoing through Liberty Park. The Madison Local School District middle school teams moved into their new home ballpark a few weeks ago. Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry was […]
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‘Power from the Valley:’ Clear Fork’s Blubaugh reflects on big league debut
HOUSTON — A.J. Blubaugh could feel the love, even from 1,200 miles away. A 2019 Clear Fork graduate, Blubaugh made his big league debut with the Houston Astros on Wednesday. The hard-throwing right-hander gave up two earned runs and struck out six in four innings of work in a 7-4 loss to Detroit. News of […]
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Community support: North central Ohio rallies around Blubaugh as he makes big league debut
BELLVILLE — A.J. Blubaugh realized a dream Wednesday, but it wasn’t his alone. The newest edition to the Houston Astros’ pitching rotation brought the entire Clear Fork Valley along for the ride. The 24-year-old Blubaugh made his major league debut Wednesday afternoon when the Astros hosted the Detroit Tigers in the final game of a […]
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6th-inning surge sends Clear Fork past Shelby in MOAC baseball tilt
BELLVILLE — BELLVILLE — Garret Hotz did it all for Clear Fork on Monday. Hotz scattered four hits over seven innings and delivered a clutch two-run double in the sixth as the Colts blanked Shelby 6-0 in Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference action. The game was scoreless through five before Clear Fork (9-4, 6-3) erupted for six […]
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Ontario needs extra innings to nip Hillsdale in baseball thriller
ONTARIO — A beautiful spring day was the perfect backdrop for an excellent high school baseball game late Friday afternoon. So, Ontario and Hillsdale answered the challenge with just such a contest. Landon Sowards belted a one-out double in the bottom of the eighth, driving in Jaren Holden with the winning run as the Warriors […]