By: Nate Calvin
LIMA – Facing 3-0 hole heading to the bottom of the fifth, the Golden Bears scored one run in the fifth and tacked on three more in the sixth to take the lead and held on for a 4-3 win over Elida.
Elida broke a scoreless tie in the fourth with an RBI triple by Cadence Miller and a sacrifice fly C Carly Chiles staked Elida to a 2-0 advantage.
Elida manufactured another run in fifth to increase the lead to 3-0 after an error, walk, and bunt single resulted in a run.
Bryan would begin to claw their way back in the bottom of the fifth as Caitlyn DeWitt led off the inning with a single to center.
Two batters later, Kierstyn Beherns singled to center to drive in DeWitt and get Bryan on the board at 3-1.
Elida threatened in the top of the sixth with three singles and would eventually load the bases with two outs, but Bryan ace Addie Arnold was able to get Audrey Hedrick to popout to end the inning.
The big sixth inning for Bryan began with walks to Katelan Nagel and Marlee Yoder and a single in between by Ella Voight as Bryan loaded the bases with nobody out.
Arnold then grounded into a fielder’s choice to knock in a run to trim the Elida lead to 3-2.
With two outs now and runners at second and third after a passed ball, DeWitt smacked her third single of the night, this one plated Arnold and Yoder to give Bryan their first lead of the game at 4-3.
Elida mounted one more charge in their final at-bat with a couple singles before Arnold would strikeout Kylie Biglow swinging to end the game
No. 1 Seed Bryan will take on No. 3 Lima Bath in the district final on Saturday at 11am.
ELIDA 000 210 0 – 3 11 0
BRYAN 000 013 x – 4 6 4
Records: Elida 15-8, Bryan 15-6
WINNING PITCHER: Arnold (7 innings, 11 hits, 3 runs, 2 earned, 6 strikeouts, 3 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Biglow (6 innings, 6 hits, 4 runs, 3 earned, 4 strikeouts, 2 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (Elida) Moening-2 singles, Irons-3 singles, RBI; Miller-triple, RBI; Biglow-2 singles; Burtchin-2 singles; (Bryan) DeWitt-3 singles, 2 RBIs
Nate can be reached at sports@thevillagereporter.com