Hartville Eagles’ season comes to an end in district semis

The Hartville Eagles’ baseball team entered last week’s Class 2, District 9 Tournament semifinals as a state-ranked team with 16 wins eager to defend the championship they won last spring.
Unfortunately, they ran into a surprising Richland Bears’ team that won just three of their previous 11 games and found themselves on the wrong end of a 6-5 decision.
Somehow, the Bears went on to upset Mansfield, 5-0, in the district championship as the game was played as part of a doubleheader on May 19 at Ballparks National in Macks Creek. Games were moved from Crocker due to the weather.
In the match-up with the Bears, Hartville took a slim 5-4 lead into the seventh inning when the Bears scored two runs in their final at-bat to go up by one run.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Eagles had back-to-back singles and had the game-tying run at third before a grounder ended the game.
Offensively, TJ Kline had three RBIs; Maddox Jones added two RBIs and one run scored; while Jacob Meglan scored twice.
On the mound, Truett Coryell tossed five innings and gave up no earned runs on three hits with eight + and two walks.
Hartville’s Cole Sinning tossed one inning and gave up one earned runs on three hits with one strikeout.
Gus Sinning gave up no earned runs in a no-hit inning and was credited with four strikeouts as one came on a dropped third strike where the winning run scored on a passed ball.
Hartville’s season ended with a 16-4 overall record.