A walk-off RBI double by Tyler Love on Thursday knocked Liberty Union from the ranks of the unbeaten and lifted host Teays Valley to a 4-3 Mid-State League Buckeye Division baseball win.
Noah Morbitzer led off the home eighth with a line drive double to center. After Morbitzer advanced to third on a fielder’s choice ground out by Landen McFarland, Love ripped a 3-2 pitch to left field to end the game.
The Vikings jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first.
Teays Valley loaded the bases with one out on back-to-back singles from Peyton Weiler and Tommy Williams, followed by Will Murphy being hit by a pitch.
A.J. Moniaci jumped on the first offering he saw and singled through the right side of the infield to score Weiler.
The Lions tied the game in the top of the fifth, but the Vikings countered in their half of the inning with a pair of runs.
Williams lined a double to left that ignited the rally. After Murphy was hit by a pitch, Moniaci sacrificed the runners to second and third.
Landon Guisinger then singled to center to drive in both runners.
Liberty Union (14-1, 9-1) scored twice in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3.
Moniaci was 2-for-3 with an RBI and Morbitzer also went 2-for-3 and scored. Weiler chipped in a 2-for-4 evening with a run scored.
Matthew Farmer tossed six and one-third innings and allowed eight hits and three runs (one earned). He walked none and struck out five. Hayden Wells recorded the final five outs and allowed three hits to earn the win.
The Vikings (10-4, 6-3) continue league play on Friday when they host Hamilton Township.
Circleville 10,
Logan Elm 0
Circleville scored 10 runs in its first four at-bats on Thursday to post a 10-0 MSL-Buckeye win over host Logan Elm in five innings.
The Tigers reached the scoreboard with a run in the second when Logan Smith scored on an error.
Circleville tacked on five more runs in the third.
The Tigers loaded the bases with no outs on singles by Nolan West, Scott Moats and Wyatt Thatcher. Nick Burns then lined a double to center that scored both West and Moats.
Austin Gray followed with a single to center that chased home both Thatcher and Burns.
After the first out of the inning, Angelo Travis hit a sacrifice fly to left that scored Gray.
West led the Tigers by going 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Thatcher was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored and Gray went a perfect 2-for-2 with three RBI and two runs scored.
Nick Burns went four innings, allowed two hits and struck out nine to earn the win. Carsen Cox threw an inning of scoreless relief and struck out a pair of batters.
Braylen Baker had both singles for the Braves.
Both teams will don their home uniforms on Friday, as the Tigers (9-8, 6-4) take on league-leading Liberty Union and the Braves (5-10, 3-7) battle Fairfield Union.
Softball
Teays Valley 10,
Circleville 0
Sydney Manring first a four-hitter on Thursday, helping Teays Valley to a 10-0 MSL-Buckeye win over host Circleville in five innings.
The TV freshman walked four and struck out eight.
Teays Valley reached the scoreboard with a five-run fourth.
The Vikings loaded the bases with no one out on a single by Alyssa Brown, a walk issued to Morgan Cantrell and Kennedy Cauger reaching on an error. Michelle Brumfield then hit a sacrifice fly to right that knocked in Brown.
After a pop put for the second out, Kadance Fraley singled to left on an 1-0 offering to score Cantrell.
Emma Helwagen followed with a single to center that scored Cauger. Lauren Park then hit a 3-2 pitch through the hole on the right side of the infield to score both Fraley and Helwagen.
Brown went 2-for-3 and scored twice and Cauger was 2-for-3, drove in a run and scored twice.
The top third of the Circleville batting order each singled – Chandler Hayes, Alyssa Liston and Cara Cooper.
Both teams don their home uniforms on Friday, as the Vikings (17-1, 10-0) take on Hamilton Township and the Tigers (10-4, 5-4) tangle with Liberty Union.