Rams have big innings early, advance to regional

BASEBALL U. SANDUSKY 10GALION 7FORT JENNINGS – Late-game dramatics had become the norm for Upper Sandusky's baseball team.In Friday's Division IV district final at Fort Jennings, the Rams decided to flip the script.Upper Sandusky scored five runs before Galion got its first at-bats, broke loose for another four runs in the top of the fourth inning, and chalked up a 10-7 win over Galion in a Division IV district championship.Josh Heilman, with two singles and a double, David Gibson, with a single and a double, both drove in two runs for Upper. Justin Heilman had two hits and Caine Rupe and Trey Johnson had two-run singles.Justin Heilman earned the pitching win for the Rams, who despite their quick lead still had to survive some intense moments late in the game.Upper led 10-2 when Galion loaded the bases in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kaleb Francis was then brought in to relieve Justin Heilman, but Ben Albert, Galion's No. 9 hitter, hammered the first pitch he saw for a grand slam. Galion added another run in the inning to close the gap to 10-7, but Francis found his groove. After's Albert's homer, he retired six of the next nine batters he faced, striking out three of theme, to get the save and seal the deal that clinched for Upper Sandusky its second district baseball title in school history.Upper Sandusky (18-4) advances to the Division IV regional semifinals where the Rams will face Sandusky Perkins (20-9) Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Bowling Green State University's Warren Stellar Field. Perkins beat Clear Fork 11-1 on Thursday in a district final game at Willard.Allen Carver led Galion (19-5) with two hits.U. Sandusky 500 410 0—10 9 1Galion 200 005 0—7 7 0WP-Ju. Heilman. LP—Crim. TOP HITTERS: (US) Ju. Heilman 2-1B; Jo. Heilman 2-1B, 2B, 2 RBI; Gibson 1B, 2B, 2 RBI; Rupe 1B, 2 RBI; Johnson 1B, 2 RBI. SOFTBALL GIBSONBURG 4ADA 0FINDLAY – Gibsonburg didn't get many hits off Ada ace Jenna Bassitt on Friday.When it counted most, though, the Golden Bears got just the hits they needed.Ava Amor blasted a two-run home in the top of the eighth inning to break up a scoreless pitchers' duel and the Bears went on to beat Ada 4-0 in a Division VII softball regional final at Findlay's Babcock Field.A small-school power at that turn of the millennium when it won three consecutive state championships (2001-2003) and finished second another time (2004), Gibsonburg (19-7) will make its sixth state tournament appearance on Friday in a 5:30 p.m. Division VI semifinal matchup with Portsmouth West/Sugarcreek Garaway at Akron's Firestone Stadium.Ada, looking to punch its ticket to state for the first time, ended one the best seasons in school history at 23-6.Bassitt gave up just one hit through the first three innings, pitched her way out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth and had a shutout through seven. The senior right-hander, a second-team all-Ohio selection in 2024, gave up eight hits, four runs – two earned – and struck out five in a complete game effort.Amor had three of Gibsonburg's eight hits, including the game-breaking two-run homer in the eighth. It was the sixth homer of the season for the freshman, who entered the game with a .423 batting average and 30 runs-batted-in.Amore is also one of Gibsonburg's top pitchers with a 10-3 record and 1.92 earned-run-average. It was another freshman – Alivia Wauford – that kept Ada's offense quiet, though. Wauford, who went all nine innings in the Bears 3-2 semifinal win over Wynford, did not allow a hit until Tess Griffith's two-out single in the bottom of the fifth inning. She gave up just two hits overall and struck out eight. SCHEDULE Saturday's Events REGIONAL TRACKDivision II Meet at Lexington BASEBALLOHSAA TOURNAMENTDISTRICT FINALSDIVISION IIIAT TIFFINTiffin Columbian vs. Wapakoneta, 2 p.m.AT OAK HARBORToledo St. Francis vs, Maumee, 2 p.m.DIVISION VAT BLUFFON UNIVERSITYLiberty-Benton vs. Coldwater, 2 p.m.AT DEFIANCEOttawa Hills vs. Eastwood, noonDIVISION VIAT NAPOLEONFairview vs. Lincolnview, 2 p.m.DIVISION VIIAT BRYANMontpelier vs. Edgerton, 2 p.m.AT PATRICK HENRYKalida vs. Miller City, 2 p.m.AT ELIDAMinster vs. Delphos St. John's, 3:30 p.m.AT FINDLAY HIGH SCHOOLHardin Northern vs. New Riegel, 2 p.m.AT MATGARETTATiffin Calvert vs. Norwalk St. Paul, 2 p.m.AT GALIONMohawk vs. South Central, 2 p.m.