New Philadelphia, Strasburg capture district baseball titles

Two area baseball teams were headed to regionals, just two wins away from a spot in the state Final Four. New Philadelphia and Strasburg-Franklin each won a district title, one in thrilling fashion, the other in a bit of a walkover.

Division III East

New Philadelphia added a Division III East District championship to its Ohio Cardinal Conference title. The second-seeded Quakers did that with a 7-2 semifinal victory over No. 6-seeded Zanesville May 26 at Tuscora Park, then followed two days later by edging Tri-Valley 3-2 in the district final at Hiland High School.

Jack Range’s two-run single allowed the Quakers to walk off Tri-Valley in the district final. The Quakers were no-hit for the first five innings, then scored three runs in the final two frames to escape with the victory.

With the bases loaded, Range blooped an 0-1 pitch from Quinton Hindel into shallow right-center field, scoring Cam Wright and Brooks Besozzi. Wright started the winning rally by drawing a one-out walk on a 3-2 pitch. Besozzi, the No. 9 hitter, lined a single down the right-field line. Caleb Crowthers walked on a 3-2 pitch to load the bases, setting up Range’s heroics.

The Quakers took a 21-4 record June 3 to VA Memorial Stadium in Chillicothe for a regional semifinal at 5 p.m. against London. The winner was to face Columbus Watterson or Vincent Warren in a June 4 regional final at VA Memorial Stadium.

The state semifinals and finals are June 11 and 12 at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton and Canal Park, now known as 7 17 Credit Union Park, in Akron. Both games would be at 7 p.m.

Division IV East 1 District

Indian Valley went into the postseason as the top seed in the district and was about one inning away from turning that into a district title. The Braves started the tournament with a 7-4 win over No. 10-seeded John Glenn at home May 27. Two days later at Minerva, the Braves’ season came to an end with a tough 6-3 loss to No. 3-seeded Edison.

In the district final, Indian Valley, which finished 15-12, took a 2-1 lead after an inning. Edison tied the score at 2-2 in the third, and it stayed that way until the Wildcats rallied for four sixth-inning runs. Junior Skyler Haney had two of the Braves’ four hits, driving in a pair of runs. Sophomore Hayden Beaber had a double.

Against John Glenn, the Braves made the most of just six hits. No player had more than one hit, though senior Deagen Beaber and junior Cam Enama had doubles. Nobody scored or drove in more than one run. Indian Valley scored at least one run in each of the first four innings to build a 7-0 lead, then withstood a John Glenn rally that included a three-run sixth inning.

Division V East 2 District

Claymont lost four of its final games overall, yet was within a run of going to a district final. That was thanks to two runs in the top of the seventh inning of the district semifinal at Cambridge. The Mustangs, who finished 10-17 overall, would have been among the most improbable district finalists.

Claymont trailed Cambridge 3-1 before scrapping for two runs in the seventh inning to tie the game. The game stayed tied until the Bobcats pushed the winning run across in the 10th inning. Cambridge fell to Minerva 8-2 in the district final May 29.

Division V East 1 District

The top-seeded Tigers took a 21-7 record into the Sweet 16 after first beating No. 4-seeded Shadyside 4-2 at home in a district semifinal May 26. Two days later, Strasburg-Franklin rolled over No. 3-seeded Hannibal River 7-0 May 28 at Knight Baseball Complex in Toronto.

Drew Lancaster threw a two-hit shutout in the district final, walking none and striking out seven. Caden Dugan and Brodie Hurst each drove in three runs with a pair of hits. Brody Baughman scored three times.

Against Shadyside, it was Baughman with the complete-game victory. He allowed no runs after the first inning, struck out eight and allowed just three hits. Dugan had a pair of hits, including a triple, and scored a run and drove in two.

Strasburg-Franklin was to play in a 6 p.m. regional semifinal June 3 at Ohio University’s Bob Wren Stadium against Franklin Furnace Green. The winner would play at 3 p.m. June 4, also at Ohio University, against either Newark Catholic or South Webster.

The state semifinals and finals are June 12 and 13 at Thurman Munson Memorial Stadium in Canton and Canal Park, now known as 7 17 Credit Union Park, in Akron. The semifinal will be at 1 p.m. and the final at 4 p.m.