Minerva track teams post strong finishes despite short-handed roster

Minerva’s baseball team had a full schedule of four games last week – but it seemed like the Lions played even more.

There were comebacks, a shutdown performance, a frustrating near-miss, and a bounce-back finish. It may not have always been pretty, but for the most part, it was productive.

It started April 14 with a little grit.

The host Lions rallied past Eastern Buckeye Conference rival Salem, 4-3, using a three-run fifth inning to flip the game. Kaden Kandel delivered the big moment with a two-RBI hit, while Braydon Wood added a home run to keep things within reach early. Once the lead flipped, Lane Tarbet made sure it stayed that way, closing things out in relief.

One day later, April 15, Minerva didn’t need late drama.

The Lions handled Salem again, this time on the road, behind a complete-game effort from Wood, who scattered three hits over seven innings while striking out eight in a 9-0 shutout. The offense didn’t explode, but it didn’t have to as the Lions coaxed 10 walks from Salem pitching to go with seven hits, and steady pressure did the job, allowing Minerva to improve to 3-1 in conference play.

Then came April 17, when everything tightened.

Minerva managed just two hits in a 5-4 non-conference loss to Edison but still found a way to stay in it late. Owen Frazier and Brennan Barnes each collected hits, and the Lions used aggressive base running to manufacture chances, but Edison answered just enough times to hold on.

So the response came a day later.

On April 18, Minerva (6-4) bounced back with an 8-6 win at home over Coventry, fueled by early offense and just enough pitching depth to close it out. Kolton Almasy went 2-for-3, Braydon Wood doubled twice, and Cole Sivy picked up the win with three scoreless innings out of the bullpen.

Four games. Three wins. And a team that keeps finding ways to answer.

Track and Field

Minerva didn’t bring a full roster to the Marlington Invitational April 17 – but the Lions still made sure they showed up.

Even with limited numbers, they found their way into scoring positions across the board.

Tateum Richard continued her strong season with a second-place finish in the 400m (1:00.45), while Jacquelyn Gorsuch added a third-place throw in the shot put (31-9.5).

On the boys' side, Wyatt Gonzalez cleared 6-2 to finish second in the high jump, and Caden Stewart grabbed third in the 300m hurdles (42.52), leading the way for Minerva’s top finishes.

From there, it was about depth, even without the numbers.

Ivey Rettig (fourth, 300m hurdles), Jayden Kirkpatrick (fourth, discus), both 4x400m and 4x200m relay teams (fourth), and a handful of fifth- and sixth-place finishes – including Sean Scott and Lanae Walter in shot put, Ellie Kuttie in the high jump, and Taylor McGeorge in the 3200m – rounded out a quietly productive day. Meanwhile, Carley Wolf and Callie Yeagley doubled up in the 100m hurdles, placing seventh and eighth.

Earlier in the week, Minerva had no such limitations in an EBC dual meet against Alliance.

The Lions rolled past the Aviators 96-26, powered by double winners McKenzie Beavers (1600m, 3200m) and Tateum Richard (200m, 400m), setting the tone for a week that, even shorthanded, still delivered results.

Softball

Softball didn’t come with the same results this week, but the bats weren’t the problem.

On April 15, Minerva dropped a 6-5 extra-inning game to Fairless, a back-and-forth battle that slipped away in the 10th inning. Rachel Weaver led the offense with four hits, Kylie Hannen added three, and Delaney Sell drove in four runs, which is more than enough to win most nights.

It just wasn’t that night.

On April 16, Alliance took control early and pulled away for a 13-0 EBC win. Adrianna Kashdan went 2-for-3, and Weaver added a double, but Minerva (3-7, 1-2) couldn’t string together enough offense to match Alliance’s steady scoring.

Some weeks are about stacking wins. Others are about finding consistency. This week leaned toward the latter.