The Edon Blue Bombers picked the right time of the year to play their best baseball. And for the first 4 ½ innings of this game that continued with Edon taking a 2-1 lead to the bottom of the 5th. The Leipsic Vikings then showed why they were the heavy favorites in this one, scoring four runs to retake the lead and go on to an 8-2 win over Edon in the Division IV Regional Semifinal at Hamler on Friday, May 25th. Leipsic (24-3) took an early 1-0 lead with a two out RBI single by Devin Heigel in the top of the second inning. The Bombers answered back in the bottom of the inning when Carson Brandt, who started the inning being hit by a pitch, eventually came around and scored on an error by the Leipsic first basemen and it was a 1-1 game going to the third. Braden Bower opened the bottom of the third with a single for the Bombers. He then moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. With Bower now standing at third base with two outs, Levi Brandt ripped a double to drive in Bower and Edon was back in front 2-1.
After a scoreless top of the fourth by Leipsic, Preston Klinger smacked a double to get things started for the Bombers in the bottom of the inning. That brought on a pitching change for Leipsic has Dylan Schrader moved from catcher to the mound replacing the starter Grant Rader for the Vikings. With one out, Derek Bass would hit a pop up in foul territory that was caught by the first basemen. Klinger, who was now at third following a delayed steal earlier in the Bass at bat, tried to tag up and score but was thrown at the plate to end the inning. Leipsic then flexed their muscles in the top of the fifth. The Vikings picked up a two run double to right by Cole Rieman and a two run single up the middle by Tyler Hiegel and they suddenly had a 5-2 lead. Edon starting pitcher Braden Miller escaped the rest of the inning with no further damage done by Leipsic but now the Blue Bombers had an uphill battle on their hands. Edon managed only a couple more hits the rest of the night and Leipsic added three more runs in the top of the seventh to put this one in the win column 8-2 and advance to the Division IV Regional Finals.
Levi Brandt supplied two of the five Edon (13-12) hits on the night with single and double to go with his one RBI. The Bombers also got a double from Preston Klingler. Braden Miller went six innings for the Bombers giving up eight runs on nine hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Leipsic at the plate was led by the two RBI’s apiece from Cole Rieman and Tyler Heigel.
