May 27—WAPAKONETA — Forty-one days after beating Celina in a regular-season baseball game, Wapakoneta repeated that accomplishment in a Division III sectional final on its home turf on Thursday evening.
But the two wins were very unlike each other.
The first time, Wapakoneta run-ruled the Bulldogs 12-1. Thursday, the Redskins needed only one run to rule the scoreboard in their 1-0 win.
The only run in the game was scored in the bottom of the first inning when leadoff hitter Grant Jolly was hit by a pitch, Griffin Mericle walked and Joel Moore’s one-out single scored Jolly.
Jolly, also Wapakoneta’s No. 1 pitcher, was dominant (no runs, four hits, 10 strikeouts, no walks). The senior right-hander allowed only one hit — a bunt single — in the last five innings.
“We always tell our guys that the first tournament game is always the hardest to win. Sometimes it’s because expectations are high. Sometimes it’s because guys are a little bit tense,” Wapakoneta coach Jason Brandt said.
“We beat these guys earlier in the year but we knew it wasn’t going to be a game like we had earlier in the year. Everything went well for us the first time we played them. Today, the wind was blowing straight in, it’s a little chillier and it’s a great equalizer.
“But thank goodness we have Grant Jolly on our team and on the hill because he did a hell of a job. That’s what you expect out of a guy who has been a four-year starter. He’s every bit as good now as he’s been in his career for us.”
Jolly said, “My slider was working really well. I wasn’t throwing as hard, so my off-speed had to be good and it was pretty good. They kept swinging and missing.
“They (Celina) got a lot better. Their pitching was really good today. And obviously, the weather wasn’t the best.”
Jolly battled knee and foot injuries last season, missed part of the season and never felt like he was 100 percent healthy until sometime in the summer.
But that is all behind the Marshall University recruit now.
“I feel like I’ve played really well. It’s good to come back after being injured all of last year,” he said. “Last year, we got knocked off early (in the tournament). I want to finish my career off with a bang.”
Wapakoneta (18-3) advances to a district semifinal game Thursday against Ashland.
Celina ended its postseason with a 15-12 record. The Bulldogs’ two pitchers, Braylon Steinbrenner and Tanner Wendel, limited Wapakoneta to four hits.
Strong starters
—Brady Steinbrunner limited Shawnee to one hit in a complete game effort during Celina’s 5-1 victory.
—Hunter Scott tossed five shutout innings and earned the win for Perry at Day Air Ballpark in Dayton, 9-2 over Newton Local.
—Logan Markley went the distance on the mound for Bath, limiting Kenton to four hits with 11 strikeouts in a 5-0 win.
—Jarron Swick racked up 13 strikeouts in a complete game effort as Fort Jennings beat North Baltimore 2-1.
—Ryan McGue struck out 17 hitters for Elida in a 4-3 loss to Upper Sandusky.
—Brady Basinger threw a no-hitter with six strikeouts in Columbus Grove’s 9-0 win over Perry.
—Andrew Weis tossed a no-hitter and struck out eight batters for Miller City in a 3-0 win over Ottoville.
Standout sluggers
—Brady Rampe drove in three runs for Kalida in a 13-1 win over Pandora-Gilboa.
—Hunter Scott recorded three runs batted in for Perry in a 9-2 win over Newton Local.
—Karson Green drove in two runs for Bath in a 5-0 win over Kenton.
—Griffin Klausing had a three-hit game for Kalida in an 11-1 win over Continental.
—Jacob Siebeneck fell a home run shy of the cycle with three hits in Kalida’s 11-1 win over Continental.
Running wild
—Brodee Schulte-Arnold scored three runs for Celina in a 5-1 win over Shawnee.
Home run club
—Xander Wilson homered and drove in three runs for Hardin Northern in a 5-4 loss to McComb.
—Chance Miller launched a two-run homer to power Celina to a 5-1 tournament win over Shawnee.
BASEBALL RESULTS AND SCHEDULE
Tuesday, May 20
Kalida 13, Pandora-Gilboa 1 F/5
McComb 5, Hardin Northern 4
Perry 9, Newton Local 2
D-III Sectional Semifinal: Celina 5, Shawnee 1
Wednesday, May 21
Celina 12, Union City 2 F/6
Thursday, May 22
Fort Recovery 5, Fort Loramie 1
Tinora 2, Parkway 1
D-III Sectional Final: Tiffin Columbian 6, Defiance 0
D-III Sectional Final: Wapakoneta 1, Celina 0
Friday, May 23
D-IV Sectional Final: Van Wert 4, St. Marys 3
D-IV Sectional Final: Ottawa-Glandorf 11, Bryan 1 F/6
D-VI Sectional Final: Lincolnview 9, Crestview 0
D-VII Sectional Final: Upper Scioto Valley 9, Waynesfield-Goshen 8
D-VI Sectional Final: Delphos St. John’s 17, New Knoxville 0
D-VI Sectional Final: LCC 9, Delphos Jefferson 0
D-VI Sectional Final: Leipsic 10, Holgate 0
D-VI Sectional Final: Hardin Northern 18, Vanlue 2
D-VI Sectional Final: New Riegel 10, Pandora-Gilboa 2
Defiance 18, Bath 6
Saturday, May 24
D-IV Sectional Final: Upper Sandusky 4, Elida 3 F/10
D-V Sectional Final: Liberty-Benton 10, Bluffton 0 F/6
D-V Sectional Final: Coldwater 11, Spencerville 1 F/6
D-VI Sectional Final: Marion Local 9, Ada 0
D-VI Sectional Final: Columbus Grove 9, Perry 0
D-VI Sectional Final: Parkway 4, St. Henry 2
D-VI Sectional Final: New Bremen 4, Allen East 3
D-VII Sectional Final: Miller City 3, Ottoville 0
Minster 8, Covington 2
Monday, May 26
Minster 10, Celina 4
Fort Recovery 9, Fort Loramie 2
D-II District Semifinal: Clay 9, Lima Senior 0
Tuesday, May 27
D-V District Semifinal at Versailles: Versailles vs Greenview, 5 p.m.
Games ended after The Lima News deadline. Find scores, game stories, photos and more on LimaScores.com.
Today
D-IV District Semifinal at Fort Jennings: Bath vs Galion, 2 p.m.
D-IV District Semifinal at Fort Jennings: Van Wert vs Upper Sandusky, 4:30 p.m.
D-IV District Semifinal at Archbold: Ottawa-Glandorf vs Lake, 6:30 p.m.
D-VI District Semifinal at Coldwater: Columbus Grove vs Marion Local, 5 p.m.
D-VI District Semifinal at Coldwater: Parkway vs New Bremen, 7:30 p.m.
D-VI District Semifinal at Fort Recovery: Fort Recovery vs Twin Valley South, 5 p.m.
Thursday, May 29
D-III District Semifinal at Tiffin: Ashlan vs Wapakoneta, 5 p.m.
D-V District Semifinal at Bluffton: Oak Harbor vs Coldwater, 5 p.m.
D-VI District Semifinal at Napoleon: Patrick Henry vs Lincolnview, 4:30 p.m.
D-VII District Semifinal at Elida: Upper Scioto Valley vs Minster, 2 p.m.
D-VII District Semifinal at Elida: LCC vs Delphos St. John’s, 4:30 p.m.
D-VII District Semifinal at Patrick Henry: Leipsic vs Miller City, 2 p.m.
D-VII District Semifinal at Patrick Henry: Fort Jennings vs Kalida, 5 p.m.
D-VII District Semifinal at Findlay: McComb vs Hardin Northern, 2 p.m.
Friday, May 30
D-IV District Final at Fort Jennings: TBD, 5 p.m.
D-IV District Final at Archbold: TBD, 5 p.m.
D-VI District Final at Coldwater: TBD, 6 p.m.
D-VI District Final at Findlay: TBD, 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 31
D-V District Final at Archbold: TBD, 12 p.m.
D-III District Final at Tiffin: TBD, 2 p.m.
D-V District Final at Bluffton: TBD, 2 p.m.
D-VI District Final at Napoleon: TBD, 2 p.m.
D-VII District Final at Elida: TBD, 2 p.m.
D-VII District Final at Findlay: TBD, 4 p.m.
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