Dylan Hefflinger
PBR Senior Writer and Northwest scout

WAUSEON - Two of the top programs in NW Ohio faced off in a battle for the lead in the Northwest Ohio Athletic League as No. 7 D-II Wauseon faced No. 10 D-III Archbold.

Both teams entered unbeaten in league play, only falling to some of the top teams in the state. Wauseon has a loss to No. 1 D-II Defiance and two losses to No. 17 D-I Anthony Wayne while Archbold entered the game with just two losses to No. 5 D-I Perrysburg.

With the stage set on a beautiful Thursday evening, the two top teams in the NWOAL had their aces on the mound ready for an epic clash. 

Archbold got on the board first in the third inning scoring two. Back-to-back walks to junior catcher Evan Wyse and unsigned senior Taylor Price brought speedy lead-off center fielder Jase Grosjean to the plate. The lefty laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runners to second and third. Micah Bernath follower with a two-run single to left scoring Wyse and Price to put the Blue Streaks up 2-0.

Top Prospect Games Ty Suntken (pictured, right) didn't let the Blue Streaks and fellow TPG participant Tyson Schnitkey settle in with the lead. In the bottom of the frame Suntken blasted a two-run home run, the fourth HR of the season (third I have seen in person). South Carolina Sumpter recruit Jake Trejo was on base, reaching on an error to start the bottom of the third. The two-run bomb on an 87 mph fastball to left-center field tied the score at 2-2.

Wauseon took the lead in the fourth, as junior Clay Tefft drew a lead-off walk and Joshua Kauffman laid down his second sacrifice bunt of the game to move Tefft to second. Senior Dugan Shadbolt roped an RBI double to left, scoring Tefft to put the Indians on top 3-2. Archbold's Grosjean (pictured, below) ended the scoring threat with a diving catch.

 

The Indians added another insurance run in the fifth as Suntken was intentionally walked to start the inning bringing to the plate University of Toledo recruit Josh Cales, who entered the game batting a robust .490. Suntken took second on a errant pickoff throw before Cales laced a single to the right-center gap to plate Suntken.

With the Indians up 4-2, Trejo put the rest of the game on his shoulders allowing one hit in the final three innings of play to give Wauseon a 4-2 victory.

Trejo (pictured, right) went the distance allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out five. Trejo featured a fastball that sat consistently at 83, topping out at 84 in the fifth. The righty relied on more breaking pitches after changing his delivery in the middle of the third inning. The change sat 74-76 and the curve sat at 67-72.

"I changed (my windup) in the third inning," stated Trejo. "My stuff was breaking better after I changed that."

Schnitkey (pictured, left) went five-plus innings for Archbold allowing four runs on four hits and five walks while striking out eight. The talented righty was not helped by the Blue Streak defense who committed three errors.

"Schnitkey was throwing the ball well," stated Wauseon head coach Trent Thomas. "We had to get him in the stretch more to get to him."

Archbold head coach Dick Selgo praised Wauseon for their play. "They earned what they got. That's a good team. I wish them luck in the tournament. I hope they do well"

Suntken spoke about taking the lead in the NWOAL: "This feels amazing..... our goal is to get our picture on the wall, be league champs and be remembered forever at Wauseon."
 

Numerous talented 2014's will be featured in the scouting note. To view scouting notes from this game, please visit the Ohio High School Scouting Blog. The blog gets updated throughout the week.

Please visit the Unsigned Senior Scouting Blog. The blog gets updated throughout the week.

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Linescore

Archbold 002 000 0 - 2 4 3

Wauseon 002 110 x - 4 5 1

Winning pitcher: Jake Trejo (7 innings, 2 runs, 4 hits, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks).

Losing pitcher: Tyson Schnitkey (5 innings, 4 runs, 4 hits, 8 strikeouts, 5 walks). Other: Taylor Price.

Leading hitters: (Archbold, 4 hits) - Jase Grosjean single; Evan Wyse single; Micah Bernath single; Emerson Radabaugh single. (Wauseon, 5 hits) - Ty Suntken single, home run; Josh Cales single; Dugan Shadbolt double; Rodney Coblentz double.