Betts shines in circle and at plate in Trojan sweep

Findlay High's softball team hit the diamond for the first time in nearly two years on Saturday.Jessica Betts pitched and played like she'd never left it.Betts pitched a five-inning no-hitter and delivered at the plate as well as Findlay opened the 2021 season with a 13-1 romp over Marion Harding. The Trojans made it an opening-day sweep by taking the second game as well, 6-3.Paige Jansen was counting on big things heading into her sixth season as FHS head coach."That 2020 team was probably the strongest, just in talent, that I've ever had here," Jansen said.After losing the entire 2020 season to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jansen enters her seventh year at the school with fewer definitive answers, but plenty of optimism thanks to senior veterans like Betts, Leea Ibarra and Paige Steinke.Betts, a senior right-hander, struck out five, walked three and allowed just one unearned run. Betts also went 3-for-3 at the plate, driving in two runs with three base hits.Ibarra, a second-team all-Three Rivers Athletic Conference shortstop in 2019, also had three base hits. Sophomore outfielder Alaina Steffes had two base hits and belted a two-run home run in the fourth inning. Liz Crites singled, doubled and drove in three runs.Findlay survived five errors in the second game. Ashley Chaflin earned the win and delivered an RBI single at the plate. Sophia Castellaneta hammered a solo home run in the third inning, and senior catcher Paige Steinke, a second-team all-TRAC pick her sophomore year, lined two doubles.The Trojans return to action today when they host Lima Shawnee at Babcock Field.FIRST GAMEMarion Harding 100 00 — 1 0 3Findlay 353 2x — 13 16 0WP — Betts (1-0). LP— Gruber (0-1). TOP HITTERS (Fin) Betts 3-1B, 2 RBI; Steffes 2-1B, HR, 2 RBI; Ibarra 3-1B. Crites 1B, 2B, 3 RBI.SECOND GAMEMarion Harding 000 210 0 — 3 6 3Findlay 211 002 x — 6 8 5WP — Chaflin (1-0). LP— Darling (0-1). TOP HITTERS (MH) Simmers 2-1B, RBI. (Fin) Steinke 2-2B; Castellaneta HR, RBI; Chaflin 1B. RBI.TEAM RECORDS: Marion Harding 0-2, Findlay 2-0. L-BENTON 17-16O-GLANDORF 1-4GLANDORF — Liberty-Benton's softball team pounded out 12 hits in the first game and took advantage of 13 walks in the second in opening the 2021 season with a doubleheader sweep of Ottawa-Glandorf, winning the first game 17-1 and the second 16-4.Chloe Dorn tripled, homered and drove in two runs in the lead-off spot for L-B. Kyra Benschoter (HR, 1B, 3 RBI), Cindy Durliat (2-1B, 2 RBI) and Kati Pape (1B, 2B, 2 RBI) also had two hits each. Lauren Gerken pitched three hitless innings and Dorn allowed one hit in her two innings inside the circle.Jordan Snider drove in four runs with a single and two doubles and Benschoter (2B) knocked in three runs in the second game. Maddy Shuey had two of O-G's five hits, including an RBI double.FIRST GAMEWP — Gerken (1-0). LP— Shuey (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (L-B) Dorn 3B, HR, 2 RBI; Benschoter 1B, HR, 3 RBI; Durliat 2-1B, 2 RBI; Pape 1B, 2B, RBI.SECOND GAMEWP — Gerken (2-0). LP— Unverferth (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (O-G) Shuey 1B, 2B, RBI. (L-B) Benschoter 2B, 3 RBI; Durliat 1B, 2 RBI; Pape 2-1B; Snider 2-2B, 1B, 4 RBI. VAN BUREN 11-20COL. GROVE 7-2COLUMBUS GROVE — Van Buren played 12 innings of softball on Saturday, scored in every inning but one and rolled to 11-7 and 20-2 wins over Columbus Grove in a season-opening doubleheader.Madison Martin (2-1B, 2B) and Shelbee Atchison (3-1B) had three hits each and winning pitcher Emily Stall had a pair of doubles in Van Buren's opening win. Keanna Rider had two singles in the first game and a double in the second game. FIRST GAMEVan Buren 141 311 0 — 11 15 1Col. Grove 013 000 3 — 7 14 2WP — Stall (1-0). LP— Mershman (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (VB) Martin 2-1B, 2B; Atchison2-1B, 3B; Rider 1B, 3B; Stall 2-2N. (CG) Utendorf 2-1B, 2B; Selhorst 2-1B; Mangas 2B; Schroeder 2B.SECOND GAMEVan Buren 242 66 — 20 13 1Col. Grove 110 00 — 2 6 5WP — Martin (1-0). LP— Utendorf (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (VB) Rider 2B. (CG) Langhals 2-2B. CAREY 6LIMA CENT. CATH 2CAREY — Carey's Mackenzie Simons allowed just five hits, struck out five and singled, doubled and drove in a run in leading the Blue Devils to a season-opening 6-2 softball win over Lima Central Catholic.Carmen Conigy had three hits and drove in a run and Mary Racheter plated two with a single and a double.Lima Cent. Cath. 001 001 0 — 2 5 2Carey 210 210 x — 6 10 4WP — Simons (1-0); LP — Watkins (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (LCC) Wannamacher 2B; (Car) Conigy 3-1B, RBI; Racheter 1B, 2B, 2 RBI; Simons 1B, 2B, RBI; Phillips 3B, RBI; Walter 2B. RIVERDALE 7WAPAKONETA 5WAPAKONETA — Riverdale erupted for six runs in the top of the fifth inning in chalking up a 7-5 season-opening softball win over Wapakoneta.Lainie Howell (2-1B, RBI), Alison Donaugh (2-1B, 2 RBI), Brooklyn Walter (2-1B, RBI) and Madison Guckes (2-1B, RBI) had two hits each as Riverdale rallied from a 5-0 deficit. Donaugh also earned the win, allowing four hits while striking out eight.Riverdale 000 061 0 — 7 11 3Wapakoneta 014 000 0 — 5 4 4 WP — Donaugh (1-0), LP— Wilson (0-1). TOP HITTERS (Riv) Howell 2-1B, RBI; Donaugh 2-1B, 2 RBI; Walter 2-1B, RBI; McCloud 2B; Guckes 2-1B, RBI. (Wap) Schroeder 1B, 2B; Thompson 2-1B, RBI. BELLEVUE 7UPPER SANDUSKY 5BELLEVUE — Bellevue's Jillian Sumser and Molly Foos went yard in rallying the Redmen to a 7-5 win over Upper Sandusky.Kearston Lunsford (2-1B, 2B) had three hits, Sumser drove in four runs and Foos (1B, HR) knocked in two for Bellevue, which erased a 4-3 deficit with a four-run fourth inning. Jenna Kurtz (1B, 2B, 2 RBI), Jenna Clary (2-1B, 2 RBI) and Liv Gier (2-1B) had two hits each for Upper.Upper Sandusky 202 000 0 — 5 10 3Bellevue 120 400 x — 7 10 1WP — Smythe (1-0). LP — Clary (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (US) Kurtz 1B, 2B, 2 RBI; Clary 2-1B, 2 RBI; Gier 2-1B. (Bel) Lunsford 2-1B, 2B; Sumser HR, 4 RBI; Foos 1B, HR, 2 RBI. OTSEGO 13 McCOMB 0 McCOMB -- Otsego scored eight runs in the first inning, and its pitching limited McComb to one hit Saturday in a 13-0 win. The Panthers committed 10 errors in the loss, with Jaden Wittenmyer taking the loss in the circle. Offensively, she had a single, accounting for McComb's only hit. Otsego&emsp;&emsp;821&emsp;&emsp;11 -- 13 McComb&emsp;&emsp;000&emsp;&emsp;00 -- 0 WP-- L. North (1-0). LP -- Wittenmyer (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (O) A. Simpson 2-1B, C. Rider 2-1B. (McC) Wittenmyer 1-1B. EASTWOOD 12-13 NORTH BALTIMORE 3-1 NORTH BALTIMORE -- North Baltimore's offense got a good start to the season, scoring three runs in the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader against Eastwood. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they managed just one run the rest of the way, and fell to the Eagles 12-3 and 13-1. North Baltimore's Ari Loera pitched each game for North Baltimore. Mia McCartney had two singles in the first game for the Tigers. Eastwood&emsp;&emsp;500&emsp;&emsp;003&emsp;&emsp;4 --12 North Baltimore&emsp;&emsp;300&emsp;&emsp;000&emsp;&emsp;0 -- 3 WP-- Kuiper (1-0); LP -- Loera (0-1). TOP HITTERS: (E) Sibbersen 2-1B; McCartney 2-1B. Eastwood&emsp;&emsp;402&emsp;&emsp;25 -- 13 North Baltimore&emsp;&emsp;100&emsp;&emsp;00 --1 WP-- Kuiper (2-0). LP -- Ari Loura (0-2).