Freddie girls place second at Johnstown Season Opener

The Fredericktown girls track team opened its season with a bang, finishing second in the Johnstown Season Opener on Saturday.

The Freddies scored 91 points, good enough to tie host Johnstown for second place. Olentangy Berlin won the event with 146 points.

Fredericktown had one event winner and three that finished as runner up. Peyton Blakesley captured the title in the 1600-meter run, finishing in a time of 5:47.86. Pilar Payne came in second in the 100 hurdles (18.97 seconds), Elizabeth Swartzentruber was second in the 3200 (12:49.62) and Gracyn Toombs placed second in the shot put (35-foot-4.75).

The Freddies were third in two other events – the 4x200 relay (Zoey Horlacher, Haley Thompson, Kennedy Cherry and Lyliah Leist – 2:02.20) and the 3200 (Madi Shade, 14:09.91).

Fredericktown’s boys team finished fourth with 77 points.

Cooper Rine captured gold in two events — the 110 hurdles (16.93) and 300 hurdles (44.49). Allen Swartzentruber was second in the 3200 (10:42.21), as were the 4x800 relay team (Isaiah Dickerson, Darren Hartley, Trace Armstrong and Patrick McGuckin, 9:28.00) and the 4x100 relay team (Blake Sipes, Gavin Toombs, Logan Roush and Tanner Estep, 46.14).

The 4x200 relay team of Rine, Roush, Tanner Estep and Sipes finished third in a time of 1:36.96.

Softball

Fredericktown gave up nine runs in the first three innings and fell to Centerburg, 9-2, on March 25.

Jazzy Wittman led the Freddies with a solo home run and a single. Abbey Wittman added a double, while Vika Arnett, Aubree Whitley, Halie Mull, Natalie Mull and Baylee Newton all singled.

Natalie Mull was the starting pitcher for the Freddies, allowing 10 hits and four walks in 2.2 innings of work. Arnett finished up, fanning four while walking seven and allowing three hits.

The Freddies responded with three straight victories.

The knocked off Crestview in both games of a doubleheaders, 6-3 and 11-1.

In the opener, Jazzy Wittman smacked a triple and a single to lead the Freddies. Abbey Wittman added a double and a single, while Halie Mull had two singles and two RBI. Newton, Whitley and Kiersten Mills all singled.

Natalie Mull went the distance for FHS, striking out five while allowing nine hits and seven walks.

The Freddies used two five-run innings to win the nightcap.

Abbey Wittman smacked a double, two singles and drove in three runs to lead the Freddies. Jazzy Wittman added a home run and a single, while Cassie Parker had a double and two singles. Mills tripled and singled, and Newton, Natalie Mull and Rylei Schulties each singled.

Natalie Mull pitched all six innings for Fredericktown, striking out five while allowing seven hits.

The Freddies then scored in four straight innings to beat Mount Gilead, 11-1.

Ella Au cracked a home run and a single to pace the Freddies. Arnett had a triple and Jazzy Wittman a double, while Newton and Whitley both singled.

Arnett tossed a three-hitter for the Freddies, allowing just one walk while striking out six.

Two huge innings gave the Freddies another victory over Mount Gilead. They scored seven in both the first and second innings en route to a 19-1 win.

Whitley led the offensive onslaught with a triple and three singles. Kiersten Mills added two doubles and a single, while Abbey Wittman and Jazzy Wittman each had a double and two singles. Newton cracked a three-run home run and singled; Ella Au and Parker each had two singles; Schulties doubled; and Arnett and Halie Mull each had a single.

Natalie Mull went the distance on the mound, striking out five while allowing seven hits and four walks.

Baseball

The Fredericktown baseball team dropped its opener but then bounced back for a victory in game two.

The Freddies gave up the big inning to North Union in dropping an 11-6 decision on March 28.

Kaiden Gibson and Zane Luckmeier both had two singles to lead the Freddies. Gavin Buzzard added a double, while Grady Mills, Vince Lavin, Cole Burnside and Reese Hannan all singled.

The Freddies trotted five guys out to the mound on the day. Burnside worked the first 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and three walks. Buzzard went the next 1.1, striking out three; Carson Rinehart struck out one in his 1.2 innings of work; Lavin fanned one in 0.2 innings; and Jayce Beeman finished up, fanning one.

Fredericktown bounced back by scoring seven in the fifth inning and beating Mount Gilead, 12-2, on Monday.

Buzzard cracked a double and two singles, driving in three runs, to lead the Freddies. Gibson added a double and a single, while Burnside and Luckmeier both doubled. Lavin and Graham Overholt each had two singles, and Mills and Hannan had one each.

Nic LaFevre started on the mound, fanning five and walking five in four innings of work. Rinehart finished up, allowing two hits and one walk.

A six-run first inning proved costly as the Freddies dropped an 8-3 decision to Mount Gilead on March 31.

Overholt led the Freddies with three singles. Gibson, Lavin, Luckmeier and Rinehart all singled.

Lavin didn’t get out of the first inning on the mound, allowing one hit and two walks. Mason Bennett pitched an inning, fanning one, while Luckmeier had six Ks in three innings. Buzzard finished up, fanning one.