Defiance continued its winning ways, while Bowling Green was equally up to the task.
The Bulldogs (25-1, No. 1 Prep Baseball Report, No. 2 OHSBCA) and the Bobcats (14-8) captured Division II sectional baseball championships on Friday evening at Defiance's Booster Field, with DHS scoring five late runs to earn a 7-1 victory over rival Napoleon (8-17), while BG (14-8) kept Wauseon (18-5, No. 3 PBR, No. 6 OHSBCA) off the scoreboard in a 3-0 win.
Defiance and Bowling Green advance to district play on Thursday at Archbold with the Bulldogs taking on Toledo Central Catholic at 4:30 p.m., while BG will face Sandusky Perkins (No. 1 OHSBCA, No. 2 PBR) in the nightcap at 7 p.m.
In the opener on Friday, the Wildcats got on the board with one run in the top of the first to grab an early 1-0 lead. Defiance, however, answered in the bottom of the inning with two runs without the benefit of a hit to move in front, 2-1.
After a walk with one out to Michael Gilliland and a double by Tyler Torrez gave the 'Cats the early lead, DHS scored twice in the bottom of the inning thanks to four walks and an error for its two runs. Defiance mentor Tom Held was very pleased to see senior ace Rob Zeigler show some fight after giving up the early run to the Wildcats.
"When Robbie had to get tough, he got tough," Held said. "He gave up that first run, that's okay, we knew we needed to score to win, but when he struck out the next two guys with a runner on third and one out, that was huge. If they score that second run there, then we tighten up a little bit. But, Robbie got those next two guys, which was big.
"Answering them right back with two runs was also obviously huge," added Held.
From there, the game became a pitcher's duel between Zeigler and Zach Willeman of Napoleon. While Zeigler was able to keep the Wildcats off the scoreboard the rest of the way, Willeman got into trouble in the fifth when the home team broke the game open with five big runs.
Zeigler opened the bottom of the fifth with a walk, before DH Austin Yant flew out to right. An infield single off the bat of Adam Schaffer moved Zeigler to second, and when pinch-hitter Drake Jimenez was hit by a pitch the bases were loaded.
A wild pitch to pinch-hitter Wade Verhoff scored Zeigler to give the 'Dogs a 3-1 lead, but when Willeman struck out Verhoff, Defiance was down to its last out of the inning. Joe Keween then coaxed a walk to reload the bases for Dom Romero.
Romero, Defiance's No. 9 hitter, stepped in and worked Willeman to a full count. On the 3-2 offering, Romero smashed a single up the middle to make it a 5-1 game. A wild pitch and passed ball led to two more runs, giving Defiance the 7-1 lead.
"On the 3-2 pitch, everyone was asking me what I was thinking about," began Romero. "Honestly, there's a new song out by Macklemore called 'Can't Hold Us,' I was singing that in my head the whole at-bat, so that's what was going through my head. It felt good to get that hit, especially after I had my struggles during the regular season."
Said Held: "Credit Zach Willeman for competing early on and getting some big outs, but Dom Romero came though in the fifth. Dom hasn't had the senior year he wanted, but I told him last night, 'tomorrow's a new season, that's when everyone will remember the hits.' Very proud of him for staying the course and getting it done in a big situation."
From there, Zeigler (7-0) closed out the 'Cats to secure Defiance's 28th sectional title.
"After they scored, I had to dig down deeper and battle," said Zeigler, who finished with 12 strikeouts, three hits allowed and three walks. "After that, I got into a groove, I started locating pretty well and I was able to get my curveball over. I got ahead in the count, kept the ball down and did what I needed to do."
Napoleon mentor Mark Stacey gave credit to Zeigler, while also pointing out that his team allowed nine walks, including eight by Willeman, who also had four strikeouts.
"The last time we played them we lost 8-2, they had three singles and we walked 13 guys. Tonight we lost 7-1, they had three singles and we walked nine guys," said Stacey. "Something about the Defiance mystique, for whatever reason, our pitchers just can't throw strikes. I thought we had quality at-bats against a very good pitcher, but Zeigler got into a groove, and once that happened ... it was light's out."
Torrez and Brady Kinnersley both doubled to lead the Wildcats.
In the nightcap, the Bobcats broke in front with one run in the top of the first against Wauseon. BG took advantage of an error, a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Mitch Cromley to grab the early 1-0 lead. In the second frame, a two-run homer from No. 8 hitter Mason Apple gave the Bobcats a 3-0 lead, a lead they did not relinquish.
"We're lucky ... that's been our motto this year and that's what happened tonight," stated BG coach Robert Yenrick. "We hit the ball on the button a few times, but right at people, but we got some big hits to get that early lead."
It also didn't hurt that junior lefty Andy Fisher was able to keep the Indians off-balance enough to keep them off the scoreboard. Wauseon got runners to second and third in both the bottom of the second, and bottom of the fourth, and a runner to third in the third, but was unable to score. Fisher finished with 11 Ks and two walks.
"I felt like if we could have gotten one run, it would have been a springboard to more," commented Wauseon mentor Trent Thomas. "They scored a run without a hit in the first inning, that was very frustrating ... and their 8-hole hitter turns on one, which was very frustrating. We couldn't come up with a big hit, we'd get two together, but we couldn't get that third. Give them credit, they were the better team today."
Yenrick gave credit to Fisher for being able to get out of situations when he needed to.
"(Getting out of those situations) is what makes a player, you either get it done or you don't," Yenrick said. "Andy is a kid that wants to make plays, he wants to be successful, I just love him. He's my best player, I can't say enough good things about Andy Fisher."
Wauseon starter Jake Trejo got nasty for the Indians after giving up the two-run homer to Apple, setting down 17 of the next 19 Bobcat hitters. The senior righty struck out nine and didn't walk a batter in suffering the loss. Wauseon, however, was just never able to solve Fisher, who helped BG to the 3-0 sectional championship.
"Jake is our rock, he just missed where he couldn't miss to Apple," Thomas said. "He threw it low and in, and we had talked about working him high and in, and low and out. Jake just missed in that spot and the kid dropped the barrel on it.
"It's a hard loss, because this group has meant so much," concluded Thomas. "When I got here we had won four games in two years, and just a few years later these seniors were freshman. The last three years we've won 17, 16 and now 18 games. They've meant a ton to our program, hopefully the younger kids follow their lead."
Napoleon 100 000 0 - 1 3 1
Defiance 200 050 x - 7 3 1
Records: Defiance 25-1, Napoleon 8-17.
Winning pitcher: Rob Zeigler (7 innings, 1 run, 3 hits, 12 strikeouts, 3 walks).
Losing pitcher: Zach Willeman (42/3 innings, 7 runs, 3 hits, 4 strikeouts, 8 walks). Other: Brian Flowers.
Leading hitters: (Napoleon, 3 hits) - Tyler Torrez double; Brady Kinnersley double. (Defiance, 3 hits).