By Matthew Lee
Regional Correspondent

BLUFFTON, OH - Lexington (21-4) and Lima Shawnee (14-8), the two top seeds in the DII Northwest District semi-final game, squared off on a rainy and cold Thursday evening at Bluffton University.

Both teams relied on their hard throwing aces. Shawnee sent North Carolina State recruit RHP Cory Wilder to the mound and Lexington countered with junior RHP Brody Basilone.

Lexington got to Wilder in the bottom of the first inning as Mason Willeke (Heidelberg recruit) led off with a walk. Basilone hit a 3-2 curve ball through the hole at shortstop. Basilone promptly stole second base to put runners on second and third with one out. Logan Bastin (Capital recruit) then delivered a scorching line drive to right field to give Lexington an early 2-0 lead. Lexington’s looked to work the count and make Wilder throw pitches as they were taking until they saw strike. It was working as Wilder threw 39 pitches in the 1^st inning and 119 pitches in the five innings that he pitched.

Lexington added another run in the bottom of the third inning to make the score 3-0. After Wilder issued one out walks to Zach Sterry (Oakland recruit) and Basilone, Bastin delivered again with a base knock up the middle for the senior’s third RBI of the game. That is all the damage Lexington could muster as Wilder got sophomore Evan Lee to fly to left field for the second out. After issuing a walk to load the bases, James Watkins (Bluffton recruit) grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning.

Shawnee finally got to Basilone in the top of the 4^th inning. Senior Cody Fullenkamp led off with a single up the middle. Wilder followed with a long double to right field that put runners on second and third with no outs. Senior Zach Bailey hit a soft roller to Willeke at shortstop and Fullenkamp broke to the plate. Willeke fired a strike to Sterry as he tagged Fullenkamp before reaching home. Wilder moved up to third base and scored on a wild pitch to make it a 3-1 game.

In the fifth, Shawnee scored an unearned run to make it 3-2. Senior Casey Mulcahy led off with a shot over senior Derek Weirick’s head in left field for a double but a quick retreat by Weirick who fired the ball back into Willeke who then turned and gunned down Mulcahly trying to stretch the double into a triple. Sophomore Trevor Anderson reached on an error as Lexington second baseman junior Nate Arnholt dropped a pop fly. Basilone then walked freshman Jake Sevitz and Tyler Anderson (Bowling Green recruit) laced a double to the gap scoring Trevor Anderson.

With runners now on second and third with one out, Fullenkamp tried to lay down a squeeze bunt but Lexington catcher Sterry reacted quickly grabbing the ball in front of the plate and tagging Sevitz before he could score. Basilone then got Wilder to hit a ground ball to short to end the inning.

In the seventh, still clinging to a 3-2 lead, Lexington went to the bullpen as Lee took the mound. Lee was able to get Trevor Anderson and Sevitz to ground out. Shawnee then laced back to back singles from Tyler Anderson and Fullenkamp to bring up Wilder, who hit a fly ball into the swirling wind in right as Watkins camped out under it to end the game.

Both starting pitchers threw well enough to win. Basilone was sitting 83-85 on the radar gun topping out at 86 while Wilder topped out in the low 90’s.

Lima Shawnee ends their season at 14-9. Lexington (22-4) will move on to the district finals Saturday at Bluffton University where they will face Wapakoneta (17-5) at 2:00

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