SECTIONAL CHAMPS … Ella Voigt singles to center for the Bears in the sixth inning. VIEW 46 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM (PHOTO BY JENNA FRISBY / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
By: Nate Calvin
BRYAN (May 10, 2024) – Thea Staten dominated in the circle with a four-hit complete game and 15 strikeouts and was 3-4 with her stick, including a home run and double, to lead Bryan to a 6-0 win and a Division II sectional title.
Both offenses were quiet until the bottom of the third inning as Bryan got things going with one out as Marlee Yoder reached on an error.
Amiyah Langham followed with a single, but Ella Voigt lined out to right for the second out of the inning and it appeared Bath starter Madison Edelbrock might be able to escape the inning with no damage done.
Staten, who had struck out seven of the first ten Wildkitten batters she faced in the circle, had other ideas as she stepped in the box and clubbed a double to center to score Yoder and give Bryan a 1-0 lead.
Back-to-back walks by Edelbrock would bring home another run and with the bases still jammed, Josey Arnold lined a two-run single to center to extend the lead to 4-0.
Mylie Vollmer would walk to load the bases again for Bryan, but Edelbrock would get Tabithah Taylor to groundout to end the frame.
Bryan put together a two-out rally in the fourth to cap off the scoring as Voigt singled to center and Staten followed with a two-run blast over the centerfield fence for a 6-0 lead.
Bath’s only real scoring threat over the final three inning came in the sixth as Mara Davis and Olivia Foster opened the inning with singles.
Staten would clamp down though and get a groundout and two strikeouts to end the inning.
Kailee Thiel added a double and single for the Bears and Voigt finished with a pair of singles.
No. 1 seed Bryan will face No. 4 Defiance (14-7) in the district semifinals on Thursday, May 16 at the University of Northwest Ohio in Lima at 4:00pm
BATH 000 000 0 – 0 4 1
BRYAN 004 200 x – 6 9 0
Records: Lima Bath 11-11, Bryan 16-5
WINNING PITCHER: Staten (7 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 15 strikeouts, 2 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Edelbrock (6 innings, 9 hits, 6 runs, 2 earned, 3 strikeouts, 3 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (Bath) – 4 singles; (Bryan) Staten – home run, double, single, 3 RBIs, 2 runs; Voigt – 2 singles; Thiel – double, single; Arnold – single, 2 RBIs
