Baughman throws no-hitter as Strasburg-Franklin tops Buckeye Trail

Brody Baughman is having a standout season for Strasburg-Franklin’s baseball team, and April 22 may have provided its signature moment.

Facing Buckeye Trail in an Inter-Valley Conference showdown, the sophomore pitcher tossed a no-hitter in a 5-0 Tigers win that was a nail-biter for six innings.

Baughman faced just three batters over the minimum and struck out 16 Buckeye Trail hitters. Nine strikeouts were swinging and seven looking, as Warriors batters were off-balance throughout the game.

Baughman walked one batter, hit two and one runner reached on an error. One of those four baserunners was erased by a double play. He threw 100 pitches, 66 for strikes, and struck out the side in the second, third, fifth and seventh innings.

The performance improved Baughman’s record to 5-0 in six appearances and lowered his ERA to 1.64 in 25 2/3 innings. His strikeout total rose to a team-best 41. He has walked nine batters and allowed 11 hits.

Baughman also contributes at the plate. He entered the week as the Tigers’ leading hitter with a .444 average in 36 at-bats. Among his 16 hits were three doubles and a triple. He had scored a team-best 14 runs, and his 10 RBIs ranked third on the team.

That production helped the Tigers to a 10-3 record, including 4-0 in the IVC North Division, putting them a half-game ahead of East Canton. The teams were scheduled to meet April 27 at East Canton and April 29 in Strasburg.

Against Buckeye Trail, senior Caden Dugan went 1-for-4 but drove in three runs. His bases-clearing double in a four-run seventh inning gave Baughman breathing room.

The Tigers had five hits, drew four walks and capitalized on key opportunities.

Strasburg took a 1-0 lead in the fourth inning. Baughman led off with a walk, advanced to third and scored on a fielder’s choice by junior Tanner Tucker.

The score remained 1-0 until the seventh, when the Tigers broke it open.

Junior Brock Johnson drew a one-out walk, and senior Zayden Barr followed with a single. A sacrifice bunt by sophomore Lucas Godd moved runners to second and third. After senior Drew Lancaster was intentionally walked, Dugan doubled to center field to clear the bases. Dugan later scored on a single by Baughman.

In the bottom of the seventh, Baughman struck out the side for the fourth time to finish the no-hitter.

Baseball

League races are taking shape past the midway point. In addition to the Strasburg-East Canton battle in the IVC North, Hiland and Indian Valley are in a tight race in the South. Hiland is 7-1, one game ahead of the Braves but tied in the loss column. The teams split their regular-season series.

In the Ohio Cardinal Conference, New Philadelphia leads at 8-0, with Wooster at 6-0. The teams are scheduled to meet May 12 at New Philadelphia and May 13 at Wooster.

Softball

Defending Division III state champion Dover remained unbeaten through 15 games overall, including eight in the Ohio Cardinal Conference, giving the Tornadoes a three-game lead over Lexington.

In the IVC South, Tusky Valley is 7-0 in conference play, two games ahead of Ridgewood (8-2) and Garaway (6-2) in the loss column. Tusky Valley swept Garaway last week and was scheduled to play at Ridgewood April 27 before a rematch April 29 in Zoarville. Garaway swept Ridgewood earlier this season.

In the North, Strasburg-Franklin is 8-0, one game ahead of Conotton Valley. The Tigers defeated Conotton Valley 4-1 on April 14 and were scheduled to meet again April 28 in Strasburg.

Tournaments

Softball tournament seeding and bracketing for Divisions III-VII will take place Sunday. Play begins May 11, though not all sectional and district tournaments will start that day. District play begins May 18, with regional tournaments scheduled for May 27-30.

Baseball tournament seeding and bracketing for all divisions will take place May 20. Sectional play begins May 19, with district and regional rounds to follow at one-week intervals.