GROVEPORT — Logan Elm was held hitless for the first five innings of Saturday’s regional title game ending the Braves’ hopes of a return trip to the state championships as Hillsboro posted a 5-2 win.
Through the first five innings the Braves (19-8) only had baserunners from two walks, a hit batter and an error.
The team in the other dugout had fared a bit better with the Indians (22-3) breaking through in the third inning.
A hit batter started the bottom of the third and a sacrifice bunt moved the runner. Hillsboro’s Camryn Spruell hit a popup that was misplayed allowing Hillsboro’s first run and Spruell made it to third on the play. A single scored Spruell for a 2-0 Hillsboro lead.
Hillsboro led off the bottom of the fourth with a single and a sacrifice bunt. Back-to-back singles led to a 4-0 lead for the Indians.
After a pop-up to second base for the second out, Hillsboro collected two more singles to make their lead 5-0.
Logan Elm collected its first hit in starting the sixth when Sadie Binkley singled to left. Brittani Lanie followed with a triple to right that scored Binkley. After a popup and a strikeout, Morgan Arnold singled to center to score Lane and make the score 5-2.
Hillsboro went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth.
A two-out triple off the bat of Hanna Gooley kept Logan Elm’s hopes alive in the seventh but the next batter hit a fly ball to center where Addie Huff made the catch to send her Indians to a state semifinal Wednesday.
Binkley handled pitching duties for the Braves. She went all six innings, struck out two, allowed nine hits and three earned runs.
Spruell struck out 11 for the Indians, walked two, gave up four hits and two earned runs.
Hillsboro will take on Cortland Lakeview in the second Division IV state semifinal at 12:30. Kenton Ridge, a semifinalist last season, returns to Akron Firestone Stadium to play Lexington in the first semifinal at 10 a.m.
