PHOTOS BY AVA KEPLER / HE VILLAGE REPORTER
OPENING WIN … Isaiahs Gracia got the Bluestreaks off on the right foot at the ACME state tournament by throwing 6 1/3 innings of four-hit baseball with 13 strikeouts in a 3-0 win over Perrysburg in the quarterfinals.
KALIDA – Archbold opened the ACME state tournament on July 20 with a win over Perrysburg and then fell in a walk-off in the semifinals to St. Henry to finish their summer at 14-6.
In the quarterfinals, Archbold rode a dominant performance on the mound by Isaiahs Gracia. Gracia tossed a complete game with 13 strikeouts and went 2-for-3 at the plate to edge Perrysburg 3-0.
In a back and forth semifinal the next night, St. Henry rallied from down 4-0 and then won it in their last at-bat on a Landen Schwartz RBI single.
Gracia and Grayson Forward each had three singles for the Bluestreaks with Elijah Verhoff adding two hits and two RBIs.
The Redskins, who were looking for a repeat as ACME state champion, fell in the state title game 4-3 to Fairview after the Apaches scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win it.
QUARTERFINAL
PBURG 000 000 0 – 0 4 1
ARCH 010 002 x – 3 8 0
WP – Isaiahs Gracia (IP-6.1, R-0, H-4, K-13, BB-7)
LP – Vedo Candiello (IP-5, R-3, H-6, K-2, BB-3)
LEADING HITTERS: (Archbold) Isaiahs Gracia – 2 singles; Grayson Forward – 2 singles, RBI; (Perrysburg) Vedo Candiello – single, double
SEMIFINAL
ARCH 130 000 1 – 5 10 1
STH 002 030 1 – 6 7 3
WP – Landen Schwartz (IP-1.0, R-0, H-0, K-0, BB-1)
LP – Aranjer Krieger (IP-6, R-6, H-7, K-4, BB-4)
LEADING HITTERS: (St. Henry) Tate Boeckman – 3 singles, RBI; Landen Schwartz – 2 singles, 3 RBIs; (Archbold) Elijah Verhoff – single, double, 2 RBIs; Isaiahs Gracia – 3 singles, RBI; Grayson Forward – 3 singles