BASE KNOCK … Evergreen’s Jake Farley lines a single to left field in the bottom of the second inning.
PHOTOS BY JACOB KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
HEAD FIRST SLIDE … Griffin Cooley of Montpelier slides into second base during the Locos’ season opener at Evergreen. VIEW 163 PHOTOS OF THIS CONTEST FOR FREE AT WWW.THEVILLAGEREPORTER.COM
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (March 30, 2026) – Last season, both Montpelier and Evergreen made it all the way to the OHSAA Regional Finals in their respective divisions by taking advantage of opportunities.
In an early-season matchup between the two teams, Montpelier made the most of a pair of opportunities to score a 5-1 win over the Vikings.
“I was disappointed with the way we started. We are better than that,” Montpelier coach Toby Hutchison said. “We went for a long time with only one hit, and luckily we took advantage of situations late in the game.”
“Pitchers threw great. Both teams’ pitchers look really solid. Our hitting is going to have to get better. We had to put the ball in play with bunts and using small ball to move runners. We are going to do that a lot, but I’ve got to have better hitters.”
It was Evergreen who took advantage of a pair of Loco errors in the bottom of the first to take a lead.
Chris Shrader drew a walk, and when he stole second, the ball got away into the outfield. The throw to get Shrader at third also went awry to put the Vikings on the board.
The Vikings’ No. 3 man on the mound, Austin Burghardt, made that lead stand up through four innings as he struck out seven Loco hitters while giving up just one hit, a bunt single to Kade Stewart.
Montpelier got a runner to third with one out in the second when Griffin Cooley walked and stole second and third. However, Burghardt struck out Hayden Sharps and Jaxon Stahler to squelch the threat.
One of the Locos’ top two on the mound, Wesley Hartsock, was just as effective on the bump.
After the unearned run in the first, the righty allowed only singles to Jake Farley and Bryce Bolger in three innings, striking out four.
The Locos evened the game in the fifth, with Burghardt creating his own undoing.
Jeremy Fritsch reached when his bouncer to the mound was thrown away. Pinch-runner Jacob Lyons then advanced to second on an errant pickoff move. A balk moved him to third, where he scored on a groundout to tie the game.
Malachi Smeltzer gave the Locos the lead the next inning when his one-out single plated C.J. Fidler, who had reached on an infield hit.
Burghardt left after the sixth, giving up just two hits and striking out 10. Nolan Hudik had trouble finding the zone in the seventh, putting four runners on base and one across the plate on two walks and two hit batters.
Malachi Smeltzer brought home two more insurance runs with a sharp single to center that gave Montpelier (1-0) a 5-1 lead.
Loco ace Kenneth Smeltzer worked the last four innings for the win. The senior right-hander gave up only one hit while striking out four Vikings hitters.
“Hats off to Chris (Owens) and his program,” Hutchison said of the Vikings (1-2). “They had a couple tough games this weekend, and it was a good, hard-fought battle.”
MHS 000 011 3 – 5 4 4
EHS 100 000 0 – 1 3 5
WP: Kenneth Smeltzer (IP-4, H-1, R-0, BB-0, K-4); LP: Burghardt (IP-6, H-2, R-2, BB-1, K-10)
LEADING HITTERS: (Montpelier) Malachi Smeltzer – 2 singles, 3 RBIs; (Evergreen) – 3 singles