By: Nate Calvin
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
AKRON (May 31, 2024) – Bryan put on a small ball exhibition in the bottom of the sixth inning with three straight bunts after a lead-off walk to score the go-ahead run to advance to the state title game with a 2-1 win.
Both team’s sophomore pitchers controlled things in the first four innings with Bryan engineering the best scoring chances by putting two runners on in the first and third but would come up empty.
A two-out rally by Bryan in the fifth would plate the game’s first run with Amiyah Langham drawing a walk and Ella Voigt lined a triple to the fence in right center to give Bryan a 1-0 lead.
The Braves would tie the game with some small ball of their own in the top of the sixth after Lynsay VanHoose went all the way to second base on a throwing error by Bryan pitcher Thea Staten after fielding VanHoose’s grounder.
Logan Elm pitcher Sadie Binkley then singled to left in front of a diving Tabithah Taylor to put two on with no outs for the Braves.
Ryleigh Wolfe would then lay down a sacrifice bunt to third to move the runners and Jacie Clifton executed a safety suicide squeeze bunt toward third which scored Katie Wilson, who entered the game as a courtesy runner for Binkley, to tie the game 1-1.
Lucy Caplinger walked to keep the inning going but Staten induced a line out to shortstop by Peyton Richendollar to end the inning.
A walk to Kailee Thiel started the Bryan half of the inning and she would steal second and advance to third base on a wild pitch with the go-ahead run.
The bunt parade would begin for Bryan as Josey Arnold and Mylie Vollmer each reached on bunt singles to load the bases with one out.
Taylor was next as she bunted back to the pitcher who misplayed the ball as Thiel raced home from third to put Bryan back on top at 2-1.
Binkley would get the next two Bryan hitters on popouts to shortstop to keep it a one-run game going to the seventh.
After a shaky sixth, Staten needed just four pitches to retire the Braves in order and send Bryan to the program’s first ever appearance in the state championship game.
The No. 1 team in Division II awaits Bryan, winners of 17 games in a row, in the state title game as they will face Canfield (26-3) tomorrow at 3:30pm in Akron.
LOGAN ELM 000 001 0 – 1 2 2
BRYAN 000 011 x – 2 6 1
Records: Logan Elm 21-9, Bryan 22-5
WINNING PITCHER: Staten (7 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 0 earned, 11 strikeouts, 2 walks)
LOSING PITCHER: Binkley (6 innings, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 2 strikeouts, 3 walks)
LEADING HITTERS: (Logan Elm) Binkley – double, single; (Bryan) Arnold – 2 singles; Voigt – triple, RBI