STARTING THE INNING … Emmi Hollstein unleashes a double to left field in the third inning of the Eagles’ sectional final win at Pettisville.
(PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
FOUL TERRITORY CATCH … Pettisville’s Olivia Miller leaps into foul ground along the third base line to make the grab.
By: Elliot Schneider
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
PETTISVILLE (May 15, 2025) – The North Central Eagles secured a sectional final victory in a matchup against the Pettisville Blackbirds on Thursday night.
The Eagles put on a dominant offensive performance, scoring 18 runs on 22 total hits, displaying the versatility they have throughout their entire lineup.
The first inning scoring started early for the Eagles, with Emmi Hollstein bringing in the first run of the game with an RBI single to left, plating Amara Wright.
Bre Gendron followed with a two-RBI double to left, bringing home Hollstein and Cailyn Meyers, bringing the Eagles lead to 3-0 by the innings end.
The Blackbirds immediately responded in the bottom half of the inning, as Macy Hoylman hit an RBI single up the middle, bringing in Kelsey Bennett.
Later in the inning, Kendall Vickery reached base due to an error by Pettisville’s second baseman, which allowed Hoylman to cross home plate.
This gave the Eagles a 3-2 lead through just one inning, showing that the game was going to come down to who could generate more offense.
The Eagles laid an egg in the second, going three up and three down, giving the Blackbirds an opportunity to flip the momentum.
They did just that, when Bennett hit an RBI single to center, plating Grace Hastings and evening the game at 3-3.
With two outs, Hoylman reached base on an error by Pettisville’s shortstop, giving Bennett an opportunity to cross home plate and give Pettisville a 4-3 lead by the end of the inning.
The lead didn’t last long, as the Eagles came out and immediately loaded the bases. With the bases loaded, Gendron was walked, tying the game at 4-4.
With two outs in the inning, Gracie Zuver reached base on a dropped third strike that turned into a passed ball, which allowed Meyers to come home and take a 5-4 lead for the Eagles.
Pettisville again responded, as Jalyssa Molina singled on a hard grounder to right, bringing in Sophie Beltz and evening the game at 5-5 through three innings.
The Eagles fourth inning didn’t produce any runs, with runners reaching base on an error and a single, but they were left stranded.
Pettisville stayed consistent by adding another run in the fourth, when Hoylman scored on a wild pitch, giving the Blackbirds a 6-5 lead through four.
The Eagles then had a response of their own, as they strung together a handful of runs in the inning, putting on an offensive display.
The scoring run started with an RBI double from Wright, plating Alexa Smith. Hollstein followed with an RBI single, and Meyers followed with an RBI hit where she reached on a fielder’s choice.
Gendron brought in the final runs of the inning with a two-RBI single to right, bringing home Meyers and Hollstein, giving the Eagles a 10-6 lead midway through the fifth.
The Blackbirds didn’t have as much success in the fifth, as they went three up and three down, with North Central’s Wright picking up two strikeouts in the inning.
The sixth inning saw the Eagles break the game wide open, plating another five runs, bringing their lead to 15-6 by the innings end.
Contributions came from all throughout the lineup, as four different players had RBI singles, stringing together hit after hit.
The Blackbirds sixth inning showed signs that they were running out of gas as they couldn’t produce any runs, giving the Eagles all the momentum going into the final inning.
The Eagles and Blackbirds both tacked on two more runs in the seventh, giving North Central the sectional final win by a score of 18-8.
North Central faces top seeded Edgerton on Wednesday, May 21 in the Division VII district semifinals at Bryan.
NCHS 302 055 3 – 18 22 3
PHS 221 100 2 – 8 8 2
Records: NCHS 7-12, PHS 11-9
WINNING PITCHER: Wright (7 innings, 8 hits, 8 runs, 6 strikeouts, 7 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Hoylman (7 innings, 22 hits, 18 runs, 5 strikeouts, 4 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (North Central) Gendron – double, 2 singles, 6 RBIs; Meyers – 4 singles, 3 RBIs, 4 runs; Hollstein – double, 3 singles, 3 RBIs, 4 runs; Smith – 2 singles, 2 runs; Turner – 3 singles, RBI; Wright – double, 2 singles, RBI, 4 runs; (Pettisville) Bennett – double, 2 singles, RBI, 3 runs; Miller – single, 2 RBIs; Hoylman – single, RBI; Molina – single, RBI