TWO-HIT NIGHT … Hilltop’s Cameron Shimp rips a pitch for a double as part of his two-hit night for the Cadets.
COMPLETE GAME … Edon lefty Lane Brandt went seven innings on the hill in a 9-4 win at Hilltop.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (April 24, 2026) – Edon’s Lane Brandt seemed like he was in trouble from the get-go against Hilltop.
After all, the Cadets rattled off 12 hits against the lefty hurler, and even the outs were missiles in some cases.
However, every time Lane Brandt had to make a pitch, he did. Every time Lane Brandt needed a big out, he got it.
And when it was all said and done, Brandt gutted out a complete game 9-4 win over Hilltop to give the Bombers their second win of the season.
“He battled tonight, I’m really proud of him,” Edon coach Creed Muehlfeld said.
“The defense really helped him too, this was a team win tonight. Lane Brandt pitched his rear end off tonight and I’m really proud of what these guys did after a couple of really tough games this week.”
Edon jumped on the board with two runs in the first, no real fault of Cadet starter Brennan Dempsey.
Gage Cisneros raced all the way to third on a throwing error to open the game.
Cisneros was tagged out when he tried to score on Kaden Stantz’s bouncer to the mound, but Stantz stole second, then third, and continued home when the heave to third went wild.
Corbin Chrisman drew a two-out walk, and Braeden Wehrle chased him home with a slicing base-hit down the right field line for a 2-0 Bomber lead.
Hilltop (8-4, 3-2 BBC) came back with four hits in the bottom of the frame, but only scored one run. Terry Rebeck blasted a one-out double to deep center, then Dempsey shot a single to right-center to plate a run.
Cameron Shimp doubled to put runners on second and third, but Brandt got a pop-out, and a big break when Brady Wagner’s hot grounder hit Shimp going to third.
Wagner got credit for a hit, but because the ball contacted Shimp before a Bomber fielder could make an attempt to make a play, Shimp was ruled out for the third out of the inning.
A hit batter, Chrisman’s single and a throwing error chalked up a Bomber run in the third, but the Cadets rallied to tie in the bottom of the inning.
Dempsey led off with a single, Shimp doubled to left center, then a ground ball and a wild pitch brought home the runs to make it a 3-3 game.
However, the Bombers (2-10, 2-3 BBC) recorded three fourth-inning runs to open a gap.
Caden Thiel blooped a base-hit to center and Wyatt Wheeler walked to start the inning.
Cisneros followed with a run-producing single, Stantz flied out deep enough to bring home another tally, and Chrisman’s two-out pop-fly into right-center fell between two Cadet players for an RBI double to boost the Bombers up 6-3.
Brandt worked out of a two-on, no-out jam in the fourth, getting a pair of fly ball outs and an infield pop to escape the threat.
Brandt again was in difficulty in the fifth. Alejandro Rubalcava led off with a base hit and stole second. One out later, Toby Hartman reached on a bloop single to short center, putting runners on first and third.
Again, Brandt evaded a big inning by inducing a run-scoring bounce out and an infield pop to end the inning. After those two threats, Brandt gave up two hits in the final two innings to complete the victory.
Edon got some insurance in the sixth, chalking up three runs without a hit against Rebeck and Ezra Mahlman on a pair of hit-batters and three base-on-balls to extend their margin to 9-4.
“This week we’ve been limited on the offensive side of things,” Muehlfeld explained. “Tonight we finally broke through. A lot of young guys on this team really stepped up tonight.”
Brandt walked one and struck out three going the distance for the victory.
EHS 201 303 0 – 9 6 1
HHS 102 010 0 – 4 12 4
WP- Lane Brandt (IP-7, H-12, R-4, BB-1, K-3)
LP- Brennan Dempsey (IP-4, H-6, R-6, BB-2, K-3)
LEADING HITTERS: (Edon) Corbin Chrisman – single, double, RBI; Braeden Wehrle – single, 3 RBIs; (Hilltop) Cameron Shimp – single, double; Terry Rebeck – double; Brennan Dempsey – 3 singles, RBI