Findlay Legion claims first district crown since '02

PEMBERVILLE – Ben Best and James Patton each drove in a pair of runs, and Caine McDonald and Grady Mason combined on a six-hitteras Findlay beat Pemberville, 6-1, Sunday to win the District 1 Legion baseball championship at Pemberville.The district title is Findlay's first since 2002 and earned the Post 3 squad a bid to the 2024 state Legion tournament to be held Aug. 26-30 at Beavers Field in Lancaster.Findlay has won four of five and was 18-9 heading into Sunday's July games 21.Findlay reached the finals with a 12-2 win over Ottawa on Saturday. In Sunday's game, Findlay scored three runs in the top of the first inning, then upped its lead to 6-0 with three more runs in the fifth. Caden Fritz doubled and had two singles and a run scored for Findlay, while Trevin Leib singled, scored and plated a run. Landon Snow doubled, singled and scored a run. On the mound, McDonald allowed five hits and one run in five innings, walking three and striking out one. Mason came in and threw two shutout innings, allowing one hit while walking and striking out a batter, Ottawa took a quick 2-0 lead on Findlay in Saturday's winners bracket final. Post 3 tied the game in the top of the second inning, though, and dominated the rest of way in run-ruling Ottawa 12-2 in five innings.Mason and Fritz spearheaded a 14-hit attack. Mason was 3-for-4 with two singles and a double, drove in three runs and scored three. Fritz singled and homered, including a two-run drive during Findlay's five-run rally in the third.McDonald (3 RBI), Landen Stansbery and Snow all had two hits and Trenton Smith delivered a two-run double.Jarrett Haan earned a complete-game win in the five-inning contest. He gave up five hits, with Brendan Barlage lining an RBI triple and Case Stegaman and Jayden Stechschulte rapping doubles.SATURDAY'S GAMEWINNERS BRACKET FINALFindlay 025 41—12 14 0Ottawa 200 00—2 5 1WP—Haan. LP—Hopkins. TOP HITTERS: (Fin) McDonald 2-1B, 3 RBI; Smith 2B, 2 RBI; Best 2B; Fritz 1B, HR, 2 RBI; Lieb 1B, RBI; Stansbery 2-1B; Mason 2-1B, 2B, 3 RBI; Landon Snow 2-1B. (Ott)Stegaman, 2B; Stechschulte 2B; Barlage 3B, RBI. SUNDAY'S GAME DISTRICT 1 FINAL Findlay&emsp;300&emsp;030&emsp;0 -- 6&emsp;8&emsp;0 Pemberville&emsp;000&emsp;010&emsp;0 --1&emsp;6&emsp;2 WP -- McDonald. LP --Dussel. TOP HITTERS: (FIN) Fritz 2B, 2-1B, R; Patton 2B, 2-RBI; Haan 1B, RBI; Snow 1B, 2B. (PEM) Tucker 2-2B, 2-1B.