By C. MARTINEZ-BRANDON
martinez@crescent-news.com
The Defiance High School ACME team secured a spot in the district tournament with a 6-1 victory over Fairview on Thursday during the nightcap of the Defiance County ACME sectional at DHS' Booster Field.
In the opening game, Tinora kept its district tournament hopes alive and ended Hicksville's summer with an 11-1 five-inning, run-rule victory over the Eagles.
The Tinora victory and the Fairview loss sets the teams on a collision course for today's loser's bracket contest while Defiance awaits the winner for the right to claim the number-one district seed. Tinora and Fairview meet today at noon while the winner plays Defiance at 2:30 p.m.
For the first five innings of Thursday's nightcap, the Defiance faithful were having flashbacks to 2002 when one hit might have cost the Bulldogs a state championship.
Three pitches into the game on Thursday, Fairview lead-off batter Nathan Yoder planted a Dace Kime fastball over the fence in left-center field to give the Apaches a lightning-quick 1-0 lead.
"It seemed like we had the confidence and the momentum going early," said Fairview head coach Tyler Miller. "Even later on when it looked like we were in dire straights we were able to come up with a play."
Dustin Mosier followed with a walk and suddenly it looked like the Apaches had the Defiance ace reeling.
However, looks can be deceiving.
Just as quickly as he got himself into trouble, Kime got himself out of trouble. Kime promptly picked off Mosier at first base before striking out back-to-back Apaches to end the threat.
"It really didn't bother me that much," said Kime. "I know I have to keep the same mentality throughout the game whether we're losing or we're up. I knew I had to keep going after them. Coach (Tom) Held has helped me a lot with the mentality of the game. Even when we did get the lead, I knew I just had to get after it."
The two strikeouts that ended the top-half of the first were the first of nine-consecutive Ks that Kime would dish out. The Apaches got a runner on via a walk in the fourth, the sixth and again in the seventh, but it didn't matter ... Kime just kept dealing.
"He pitched incredibly well," lauded Defiance head coach Mark Elliott about Kime's performance. "He was ahead of guys all night, it was just a great performance."
By the time the dust cleared in the seventh inning, Kime had recorded 18 strikeouts and just that one hit while almost single-handedly kept the district tournament within the Bulldogs' grasp.
"The key tonight was my curve ball," recalled Kime. "I was able to throw that for strikes even on 1-0 counts I was shaking off my catcher and I was able to put it (the ball) right there."
While Kime was putting on a pitching display, Fairview hurler Dustin Mosier wasn't doing too bad himself.
The Bulldogs managed to put runners in scoring position in the second, third and fourth innings, but each time Mosier managed to come away unscathed. But in the fifth inning, the Apaches luck would change, thanks to none other than Kime.
Alex Nofziger led off the Defiance half of the inning by getting hit by a pitch to bring Kime to the plate. Kime fell behind Mosier 1-2, but rocketed the fourth offering back up the middle.
Out of pure instinct, Mosier stuck his unprotected right hand out to grab the screaming liner. The ball ricocheted off of Mosier's glove and into left field to give the Bulldogs runners on first and second. Mosier shook off help and after a short meeting at the mound, Mosier went back to work.
"Mosier kept us off balance most of the night," admitted Elliott. "We got guys in scoring position in almost every inning but we couldn't get that big hit. But then we got the walks and the big play."
It turned out the liner off of his throwing hand had done it's damage. Mosier struggled for control as he walked Corbin Stykemain to load the bases. And one batter later the Bulldogs tied the game when a free pass was also issued to Dakota Westrick.
Miller pulled Mosier for Brock Mosier, but DHS pinch hitter Zach Dempsey also got a RBI walk to give the Bulldogs a 2-1 lead with the bases still loaded. Brock Mosier finally got the Bulldogs to put the ball into play as Ryan Cordray hit into a 5-2 fielder's choice for the Bulldogs first out.
With the bases still loaded, Jake Moser also hit the ball at Fairview third baseman Quenten Yoder. Yoder couldn't gun down the runner at home, as Defiance upped its lead, 3-2. However, Yoder did get the force at third and quickly tried to double up Moser before he could reach first base.
Moser was safe at first, and the return throw to Yoder in an attempt to get a sliding Cordray at third sailed to the fence and Cordray promptly made it a 4-1 Defiance lead.
Defiance added two more runs in the sixth on a Kime RBI double and a Westrick single to right as Defiance secured a spot in next week's district tournament.
In Thursday's opener, Tinora scored in each of the first four innings to stay alive in the bottom half of the bracket.
Blake Reiman led the way for the Rams with single and a three-RBI double in the third inning. Alex Batt also drove in three for Tinora while Landon Drewes brought home two more.
Drewes also picked up the win going all five innings and yielding only six hits while striking out four.
For the Eagles, Dusty Yoder put them on the board in the top of the fifth with a solo home run.
Linescores
Hicksville 000 01 - 1 6 4
Tinora 313 4x - 11 9 2
Winning pitcher: Landon Drewes.
Losing pitcher: Seth Klepper.
Leading hitters: (Hicksville, 6 hits) - Dustin Yoder home run, RBI, run. (Tinora, 9 hits) - Alex Batt 2 singles, 3 RBI; Blake Reiman single, double, 3 RBI;.
Fairview 000 000 0 - 1 1 1
Defiance 000 042 x - 6 8 0
Records: Defiance 22-5, Fairview 14-6.
Winning pitcher: Dace Kime (7 innings, 1 run, 1 hit, 18 strikeouts, 4 walks).
Losing pitcher: Dustin Mosier (4 innings, 3 runs, 3 hits, 2 strikeouts, 4 walks). Other : Brock Mosier.
Leading hitters: (Fairview, 1 hit) - Nathan Yoder home run, run, RBI. (Defiance, 8 hits) - Aaron Helland double, run; Dace Kime single, double, 2 runs; Corbin Stykemain double, single; Dakota Westrick 2 singles, 2 RBI.