HILLSBORO — The Washington Blue Lions were looking to secure at least a share of the Frontier Athletic Conference baseball title for 2022 when they visited Hillsboro Thursday, May 5.
The mission was accomplished as Washington shutout the Indians, 5-0.
Washington improves to 13-4 overall and finishes the FAC schedule at 8-2.
Jackson is currently 7-2 and Miami Trace is 6-2.
Miami Trace was scheduled to play at Jackson Friday, but that game was rained out and has been rescheduled for Tuesday. The Panthers are slated to host Hillsboro Monday at 5 p.m.
Thursday at Hillsboro, Tanner Lemaster pitched a complete game shutout for the Blue Lions. Over seven innings he allowed five hits with one walk and eight strikeouts.
Corbin Willey started and suffered the loss for the Indians. He pitched 2.1 innings with two hits and five runs (all earned). He walked five, struck out two and hit one batter.
Gavin Thompson pitched the final 4.2 innings for Hillsboro, with two hits, four walks, four strikeouts and two hit batsmen.
Washington scored all the runs it would need with two in the top of the first.
The Blue Lions added three more runs in the third.
As for the weather Thursday, it sprinkled early and began raining in earnest shortly after the game ended, according to Washington head coach Mark Schwartz.
“Obviously, we had our opportunities (in the two games Washington lost, as they split with Jackson and Miami Trace),” Schwartz said. “We didn’t take advantage of it and it cost us.
“Overall, finishing 8-2 in the league, and our league is really tough, so, I’m very happy with that,” Schwartz said. “I’m very proud of our team. These guys are a tight-knit group. They really pull for each other. Everybody has accepted their roles, which we’ve been preaching that since day one and it paid off. I couldn’t be happier for them. “
Washington scored five runs with three singles and one double.
Hillsboro’s pitchers combined to walk nine and hit three additional Blue Lion batters.
“We took advantage of some early wildness,” Schwartz said. “They walked a bunch early and hit some batters.
“We had (senior) Karson Runk back in the line-up finally,” Schwartz said. “He’s been injured, out all year. He’s the guy who gets us going. He led off the game with a walk. A.J. Dallmayer scored him on a double.”
Dallmayer moved up on a wild pitch and scored on a ground out by Titus Lotz for a 2-0 Blue Lion lead.
Runk walked three times and was hit by a pitch twice, scoring two runs.
“That made a huge difference,” Schwartz said. “That was pretty much all we needed with Tanner pitching.”
In the third inning, Runk led off with a walk and John Wall followed with a walk and Lotz was hit by a pitch.
Lemaster and Tyler Tackage walked with the bases loaded and Bryce Yeazel hit a single that made it 5-0.
Canaan Griffith and Korbin Adams each had two hits for Hillsboro and Ethan Grooms had one. Hillsboro stranded five runners and Washington left 12 on base.
Washington was scheduled to play at East Clinton Friday. That game was rained out and has been rescheduled for Friday, May 13.
Washington had a game scheduled with Greeneview Monday, which was cancelled, Schwartz said.
The Blue Lions are scheduled to play at Carlisle Tuesday and have a home game scheduled for Wednesday against London. That will be senior recogntion day.
The Division II Sectional tournament pairings are scheduled to be announced Sunday afternoon.
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W 203 000 0 — 5 4 0
H 000 000 0 — 0 5 1
