Titans explode in 8th for sectional crown

VAN WERT – Ottawa Glandorf exploded in the eighth inning on Friday night for six runs against host Van Wert for a 9-3 victory and a spot in the district semifinals.

Tied 3-3 entering the top of the frame the Titans bats struck for eight one out hits and a six spot against Cougar senior starter Owen Treece in front of a capacity crowd at Smiley Park.

Alex Macke started the rally for Ottawa Glandorf by slapping a Treece offering that dropped sharply in right field ahead of a pair of would be fielders and off the base of the outfield wall that allowed the Titan to come all the way around to take a 4-3 lead.

Two doubles and a pair of singles by Jacob Balbaugh, Dylan Wagner, and Nate Maag added another run to the total while dragging Treece’s pitch count into triple digits on the evening.

Following an RBI single by Wes Davidson Ottawa Glandorf cleared the bases with a two-run home run to right center from the bat of Landon Jordan for the final tally of the inning. OG nearly loaded the bases again with a pair of singles but had their at bat come to an end on a fly out to centerfield by Ty Buckland.

Van Wert catcher Kaiden Bates walked against reliever Jacob Balbaugh in the bottom of the eighth but was unable to score as the game came to an end with a pair of fly outs to give the Titans the win.

OG plated a pair of runs in the opening inning of play on a Macke triple and a sacrifice fly by then first baseman Balbaugh for a quick 2-0 lead.

Jaxon Buddelmeyer procured two quick outs in the bottom of the first but saw his 1-2 pitch to Treece tag the future Wittenberg Tiger who found himself driven in just a pitch later on an Ethan Rupert drive to the outfield to trim the Cougar deficit to 2-1.

After surrendering the run in the first inning Buddelmeyer struck out the side in the bottom of the second and five of the next eight batters he faced through the third inning. Not to be outdone during the pitching duel Treece himself retired nine of the next eleven batters he faced to send the game into the fifth frame still at 2-1.

Van Wert’s small ball approach to tie the contest worked to perfection in the bottom of the fifth as a walk and hit by pitch of Kaiden Bates and Ries Wise were aided by a Jacob Place sacrifice bunt and a TJ Stoller sacrifice fly to bring home Bates and tie the score at 2-2.

Alex Macke struck again for the Titans in the top of the fifth as he slammed a double into the outfield but was erased from the bases on a fielders choice by teammate Jacob Balbaugh to start the inning. Balbaugh himself scored on an overthrow across the diamond by third baseman Aidan Pratt on a Nate Maag ground ball to put OG back on top at 3-2.

Despite threatening in the sixth with the bases loaded before a pair of strikeouts, the Cougars broke through and tied the contest at 3-3 in the home seventh when Jacob Place who was hit by a pitch to start the inning was driven in by Ethan Rupert in the last inning of work for Buddelmeyer.

Co-champions of the Western Buckeye League this season, the Cougars see their year draw to a close with a 21-6 record while OG improves to 17-11 and will travel north to Archbold on Thursday evening for a 6:00 P.M. district semifinals tilt with Toledo Central Catholic who held on to defeat Napoleon 3-2 in a nine inning contest.

Owen Treece’s senior campaign comes to an end at 7-2 as he tossed eight innings and surrendered nine runs on 14 hits while striking out five and walking one. Jaxon Buddelmeyer improves to 6-2 on the season by tossing seven innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking three and striking out nine on the way to the win.