Logan Elm tried to rally in its last at-bat against the top-ranked team in Division II Ohio baseball, the Miami Trace Panthers, but fell just short 5-4 in a Southeast District sectional semifinal contest.
The Braves and host Panthers each scored a run in the first, but then Miami Trace pulled ahead with a three-run fourth and then tacked on a crucial insurance run in the fifth.
Jeremy Wietelmann, David Evans and Braylen Baker each worked a walk in the seven to load the bases with no outs for the Braves (9-18).
Brody MacDonald then walked his way to first base, forcing in Wietelmann from third and cutting the MT advantage to 5-2.
Gabe Chalfin then hit a sacrifice fly to right that scored Evans.
After a pinch runner was thrown out stealing second, Caleb Eplin reached on an error that allowed Baker to score and make it a one-run game.
Reliever Wes May then coaxed a ground out to shortstop that ended the game and sent the Frontier Athletic Conference co-champion Panthers (22-1) to a sectional final on Thursday against Athens.
Wietelmann, McDonald and Eplin each had a hit for the Braves.
Logan Elm loses Wietelmann, Chalfin, MacDonald, Evans and Eplin to graduation.
Track and Field
District Day 1
Logan Elm’s Annie Karshner captured a Division II Southeast District championship on Tuesday in the shot put on the campus of Washington Court House High School.
Karshner topped the field with a toss of 35-2 feet and she’ll be joined at regional by teammate Olivia Williams, who finished third in 32-9.25 feet.
Circleville’s 3200 relay team (Morgan Blakeman, Gretchen Search, Audrey Fausnaugh and Ellie Patrick) finished with a district runner-up time of 10:34.12.
Westfall’s Ashley Hegarty was third in the high jump at five-feet.
On the boys side, Pickaway County athletes claimed three of the four regional qualifying spots in the pole vault.
Circleville’s Zach Buitendorp won a district title at 13 feet, followed by Westfall’s Tyler Shipley at 12-6. Marcus Whaley of Westfall grabbed the final qualifying spot to regional by reaching 11-6 feet.
Circleville’s Jesse Fuller finished as a district runner-up in the long jump with a leap of 19-10 feet.
Logan Elm’s 3200 relay team (Trace Smith, Ian Shaeffer, Brock Evans and Drew Tomlinson) took home bronze in 8:43.54.
District competition concludes on Saturday in the Fayette County seat.
Central District results were unavailable late Tuesday evening.
Teays Valley’s Natalie Newton did qualify for the regional in the Division I pole vault.
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