HEADFIRST SLIDE … Montpelier’s Kenneth Smeltzer slides into home with a run in the Locos’ 7-3 win over Edon in the Division VII district semifinals.
(PHOTOS BY BREANA RELIFORD / THE VILLAGE REPORTER)
DISTRICT SEMIFINALS … Edgerton’s Cory Herman throws to first after fielding a grounder in the Bulldogs’ district semifinal win over Hilltop.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
BRYAN (May 29, 2025) – The old saying in every sport goes…defense wins championships. The teams that didn’t play well in the field in the Division VII District at Bryan will be haunted by what could’ve been.
Even though Edon outhit Montpelier, the Bombers committed a whopping seven errors, and the Locos took advantage, gaining a 7-3 win to advance to Saturday’s title game.
In the nightcap, it was the same story as four Hilltop errors led to led to three unearned Edgerton runs, and the Bulldogs survived a last inning case of wildness to grab a 5-4 victory over the Cadets.
Edgerton (16-10) will play Montpelier (18-5) for the right to move on to next week’s regional tournament at Carter Park in Bowling Green.
“We talk to our kids a lot about taking advantage of opportunity when teams make a mistake,” Loco coach Toby Hutchison stated.
“We do a pretty good job of it and to me, I’m not saying we are a good team, but good teams find a way to win and tonight just goes to show that.”
It took just three batters into the top of the first for the many cases of the fielding yips to surface in the opener.
A throwing error on Kenneth Smeltzer’s ground ball, and two wild pitches by Edon starter Kyler Sapp put the Locos on the board.
A second bad throw after the wild pitch that scored Smeltzer, brought home Griffin Cooley, who had walked, to make it 2-0.
The Locos added one in a more conventional manner in the second on a walk, a sacrifice and Wesley Hartsock’s two-out base hit to take a 3-0 lead.
More miscues aided a Montpelier rally in the fourth. A Jacob Lyons’ single was followed by a bad throw on a bunt that put two Locos in scoring position with one down.
Again, it was Hartsock who came through again with a sharp single through the left side to plate both runners and boost Montpelier up 5-0.
Smeltzer worked through the first four innings on the mound for the Locos unscathed, but Edon got one back in the each of the last three innings.
Singles from Max Radabaugh and Christian Owens, followed by a balk got the Bombers in the scoring column in the fifth.
Base hits by Corbin Chrisman and Zaine Stull, along with a Loco error chopped the Montpelier margin to 5-2 in the sixth but again Edon mistakes helped the Locos regain a five-run bulge in the bottom of the frame.
Hartsock, Hayden Sharps and Smeltzer all singled in the sixth, that mixed with a pair of Bomber errors tacked on two more insurance runs for Montpelier. Sapp’s RBI single in the last inning only made the final score closer.
Smeltzer went the distance for the win, giving up eight hits and two earned runs. The junior righty struck out 10 and walked two.
“He struggled a little bit,” Hutchison said. “I don’t know if he has ever thrown this many pitches, I know he was over 100. Edon out hit us, they should’ve won the game. But they made some mistakes, and we got some timely hits.”
“Wesley Hartsock stepped up and did a great job today. Hayden Sharps gets big hit there, things just worked out for us, the baseball gods must have been with us.”
“Hats off to Edon, they played a great game, and Sapp pitched a great game. We are moving on and tomorrow is another day.”
Sapp only allowed six hits and only three of the runs he gave up were earned. Edon bows out of the tournament after winning a Sectional title with a 12-10-1 record.
In the nightcap, Maddox Baker got Edgerton going right away with a leadoff triple and scored on Cory Herman’s flyball.
For a while it looked as if that would be the only score the Bulldogs would need as Baker threw blanks at the Cadets for the first three innings.
However, in the fourth, Hilltop knotted the game as Micah Rossman’s infield single chased home Anthony Jiannuzzi who had walked, moved up on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a ground ball.
After some words of wisdom and encouragement from coach Michael Gilliland, the Bulldogs got that run back right away.
Kellen Sanchez’ ringing double into the left field corner, a ground ball and Noah Weaver’s sacrifice fly put Edgerton ahead for good.
“We talk about putting the ball in play and good things can happen,” Gilliland said of his team’s ABC baseball approach to Edgerton’s first two scores.
“You put the ball in play you have a chance; you don’t have a chance when you strike out.”
The Bulldogs got a major gift in the next inning. Brady Everetts started the inning with a single and two outs later, Baker walked, and Herman followed with a line drive hit to left to load the bases.
Cadet hurler Cameron Shimp induced a ground ball from Sanchez, but a wild throw marked two more Edgerton runs to boost the Hilltop deficit to 4-1.
Weaver’s ground ball single and two more Hilltop errors brought in the fifth score for the Bulldogs an inning later.
That run proved vital when Scottie Krontz, working in relief of Baker in the seventh, walked the first two hitters.
Sanchez then plunked another Cadet and uncorked a pair of wild pitches to bring home two runs to make it 5-3 and Terry Rebeck’s ground ball scored a third to slice the deficit to 5-4.
However, Sanchez righted himself and got a strikeout and fly ball to end the contest. “Our defense was top notch today,” Gilliland expressed.
“We had a lot of good practices leading up to today and defensively we made plays when we had to. We did enough with the bats, but our defense really picked us up.”
Baker picked up the win in spite of five walks and hitting a batter. Shimp only allowed two earned runs but was saddled with the defeat. Hilltop’s season finishes with a 12-11-1 record.
Montpelier 7, Edon 3
EHS 000 011 1 – 3 8 7
MHS 210 202 x – 7 6 4
Records: EHS 12-10-1, MHS 18-5
WINNING PITCHER: Smeltzer (7 innings, 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 earned, 2 walks, 10 strikeouts)
LOSING PITCHER: Sapp (6 innings, 6 hits, 7 runs, 3 earned, 4 walks, 8 strikeouts)
LEADING HITTERS: (Edon) Owens – 2 singles; (Montpelier) Hartsock – 3 singles, 3 RBIs
Edgerton 5, Hilltop 4
HHS 000 100 3 – 4 2 4
EHS 100 121 x – 5 6 0
Records: HHS 12-11-1, EHS 16-10
WINNING PITCHER: Baker (6 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 earned, 5 walks, 5 strikeouts) Other: Krontz, Sanchez
LOSING PITCHER: Shimp (5 innings, 5 hits, 5 runs, 2 earned, 1 walk, 5 strikeouts) Other: Schlosser
LEADING HITTERS: (Hilltop) Schlosser – single; Rossman – single; (Edgerton) Baker – triple, 2 runs; Sanchez – double