PBR Spotlight Game: No. 8 Leipsic vs. No. 19 Ottawa Hills

By Dylan Hefflinger

HAMLER- A three-run homer by Nate Schey and six-hit pitching by Travis Schroeder carried No. 8 Leipsic to a 6-3 victory over No. 19 Ottawa Hills in Division IV regional semifinal play at Patrick Henry.

Schey, a senior center fielder who had a single and scored in the fourth, gave Leipsic (25-3) a 6-1 lead with a three-run shot to right-center field with two outs in the bottom of the fifth. Brady Schroeder led off the inning with a single and lead-off hitter Devin Mangas walked. A sacrifice bunt and strikeout brought up Schey, who easily cleared the fence for his second homer of the season.

Ottawa Hills (24-6) scored an unearned run in the first but Leipsic went in front for good with two in the third. With two down, Schroeder walked and Mangas, a junior left-handed hitting shortstop who is batting a team-high .420, lined a single to right. Trevor Schroeder, the twin brother of Travis, then hit a 3-2 pitch to the gap in right-center for a two-run double.

Ottawa Hills rallied for two in the seventh with junior Judah Wollenburg, who started a year ago at the state tournament for Newark Catholic, leading off with a single. After a fielder's choice and strikeout, junior catcher Will Longthorne hit a wind-blown triple to right and came home on a wild pitch.

Travis Schroeder struck out seven, permitted six hits and gave up five base on balls in moving to 7-0 on the season. The 5-7 senior now has an ERA of 0.90. Brother Trevor Schroeder, 7-0 with a 1.47 ERA, is expected to start in the regional final against Tinora, a Division III state participant last season.

Junior Joe Mackey, who was 7-1 with a 1.77 ERA coming in, was the losing pitcher giving up six runs in five inning,s surrendering six hits and two walks while fanning four.