By: Nate Calvin
LIMA (MAY 18, 2023) – The first meeting of the year between Napoleon and Bryan was a pitcher’s duel, with the Bears earning a 1-0 win in eight innings.
Thursday night’s rematch in the district semis appeared to be on the same path as Napoleon freshman Arianna Kiessling and Bryan freshman Thea Staten were locked in a 0-0 tie after three innings, with just two hits in the game between the two clubs.
That was until Bryan manufactured a run in the fourth and then blew the game open with a four-spot in the fifth on their way to a 6-0 win in the Division II district semifinal at UNOH Racer Softball Field in Lima.
Josey Arnold opened the fourth inning with a triple before Kiessling would get Kailee Thiel looking on a called third strike for the first out of the inning.
Mylie Vollmer then layed down a suicide squeeze bunt with Kiessling’s throw to home off the mark as Arnold scored to make it 1-0 and Vollmer ended up on second.
The top of the order would do the damage in the fifth inning as Ella Voigt singled up the middle and Marlee Yoder reached on an error to put two on with no outs.
Staten would provide the big hit of the night as she laced a double to center to score Voigt and Yoder and extend the lead to 3-0.
Caitlyn DeWitt was next for Bryan as she would stroke a single to left to drive in Staten before eventually scoring herself on a Thiel groundout to push the lead to 5-0.
The Bears added one more marker in the sixth after Mackenzie Blevins smacked a pinch-hit double over the centerfielder’s head and Tabithah Taylor (running for Blevins) scored on a groundout by Voigt to cap off the Bryan scoring.
As for Staten, the Golden Bear freshman was nearly unhittable in the circle. She finished the night with 15 strikeouts, including striking out the side on two occasions.
Top seeded Bryan will take on No. 6 Lima Bath (11-14) in the district finals back in Lima on Saturday at noon.
Bath upset No. 3 Elida in the sectional finals and then No. 2 Defiance (4-2) in the district semifinals to make it to Saturday’s district title game.
NAPOLEON 000 000 0 – 0 2 2
BRYAN 000 141 x – 6 6 0
Records: Napoleon 7-16, Bryan 22-1
WINNING PITCHER: Staten (7 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 15 strikeouts, 0 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Kiessling (6 innings, 6 hits, 6 runs, 6 earned, 7 strikeouts, 1 walk)
LEADING HITTERS: (Napoleon) Wilcox – 2 singles; (Bryan) Staten – double, 2 RBIs; Blevins – double; Voigt – 2 singles, RBI
Nate can be reached at sports@thevillagereporter.com