PHOTOS BY REBEKAH DELL / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
LINE DRIVE … Wesley Hartsock hits a line drive to the outfield in Montpelier’s 8-0 win at Hilltop.
FLY BALL … Hilltop’s Brady Wagner lifts a fly ball in the bottom of the fourth inning.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
WEST UNITY (April 28, 2026) — For three years, Montpelier’s Kenneth Smeltzer has been very good on the mound. For three years, Smeltzer’s Locomotive teammates have been very good baseball players.
At Hilltop, Smeltzer was very good again, twirling a one-hit shutout, and his fellow Locos put on a clinic in small-ball to notch eight runs to claim a share of Montpelier’s fourth consecutive BBC title in an 8-0 triumph.
“Tonight we executed very well,” longtime Loco coach Toby Hutchison said. “That was the big thing going into the game, I told the guys that if we executed and make things happen, we win games when we do it well.
“We have been trying to get the kids to hit better and it hasn’t fared well but we are still winning.”
“Great team performance, we were really good defensively, we got bunts down and executed the squeeze in big situations. The kids did a great job executing.”
Montpelier (9-3, 6-0 BBC) got all the runs Smeltzer would need in the first inning, chalking up two on just one hit.
Hilltop’s Cameron Shimp struck out leadoff hitter Wesley Hartsock, but when the ball got away, Hartsock reached first base.
Griffin Cooley doubled to put runners on second and third. A fielder’s choice scored one run and a balk brought home another to give Montpelier a 2-0 lead.
From that point, the Locos scratched out single runs in the third and fifth to extend their margin. Two walks and Smeltzer’s sacrifice fly in the third pushed the advantage to 3-0.
Zane Stull’s sharp single, Malachi Smeltzer’s base hit through the left side, and a walk loaded the bases in the fifth with no outs.
Jaxon Stahler’s bunt died in front of the plate, but pinch-runner Johnny Fritsch made a Houdini-like slide at the plate that turned an easy out into a Loco tally to make it 4-0.
Kade Stewart’s RBI bunt single and Hartsock’s two-run single were the key blows in a four-run seventh that put the game away.
As for Smeltzer on the mound? Well, Smeltzer did what Smeltzer has done all through his career. The senior righty was threatened just once.
Hilltop (8-5, 3-3 BBC) loaded the bases with two down in the third on a walk, Ezra Mahlman’s single which was the only Cadet hit of the game, and a hit batter.
However, the threat fizzled when Smeltzer got Brennan Dempsey on a bouncer to short.
Outside of that, Hilltop put just three other batters on base the entire game as Smeltzer was in total control, walking three and striking out seven.
“Our pitching has been fantastic,” Hutchison exclaimed. Kenny gave up just one hit and when you have a lot of confidence with the guy on the mound it makes you feel better about the game.”
MHS 201 010 4 – 8 10 1
HHS 000 000 0 – 0 1 1
WP- Kenneth Smeltzer (IP-7, H-1, R-0, BB-3, K-7)
LP- Cameron Shimp (IP-7, H-10, R-8, BB-4, K-4)
LEADING HITTERS: (Montpelier) Griffin Cooley – double; Wesley Hartsock – 2 singles, double, 2 RBIs; (Hilltop) Ezra Mahlman – single.