PBR Spotlight Game: No. 1 Hopewell-Loudon vs. Gibsonburg

By Dylan Hefflinger

FINDLAY- Gibsonburg took advantage of Hopewell-Loudon errors and got solid pitching from Logan Jones to stun the No. 1 Division IV team in the state 5-2 on Friday in the district finals at Findlay Marathon Field.

Leading 2-1 entering the seventh, Gibsonburg pushed across three runs in the top of the frame to put the Chieftans on the ropes. Tristain Palmerton walked off H-L reliever Logan Sendelbach but one out later the inning appeared over when a bunt went back to the mound for an apparent double play. However, the throw to second was high helping keep the inning alive. A walk following the second out brought Sam Kohler to the plate and a two-run single made it 4-1.Leroy Neeb upped the advantage to 5-1 with a single.

Hopewell-Loudon (25-2) trimmed the deficit to 5-2 when Austin Kuhn hit a double and came home on a Gibsonburg error. A Jordan Reinhart single and a passed ball put two runners in scoring position, but with two down Jones fanned Sendelbach to prevent the Chieftains from a fourth straight regional berth.

Jones, who did not allow a baserunner until a lead-off walk to Alex Ratchen in the fifth, surrendered just four hits while fanning nine in going the distance two nights after throwing three innings in a district semifinal win over Arcadia.

Gibsonburg jumped in front with two runs in the first off of Hopewell starter Tyler Tyree. A walk, error and passed ball gave the Bears a 1-0 lead and a two-out single by Neeb made it 2-0.

The Chieftains cut the Gibsonburg lead in half in the fifth when Austin Kuhn hit a single for the first H-L hit of the game, moving Ratchen to third. A wild pitch scored Ratchen.

Tyree went five innings to suffer the loss, giving up four hits and one walk while striking out five before Sendelbach came on in relief in the sixth.

After beating the top-ranked team, Gibsonburg (21-7) now has a chance to play the No. 2 team Tinora, which defeated North Central 8-4 in the Bryan District finals. Gibsonburg and Tinora play Thursday at Patrick Henry at 5 p.m. in the regional semifinals.