BETHEL — Dustin Howard ripped a bases loaded triple in the top of the sixth to lift Blanchester to a 9-7 win over Bethel-Tate in a big Southern Buckeye Athletic & Academic Conference National Division game at BTHS.
The victory clinches a share of the National Division crown for Blanchester. The Wildcats are 11-5 overall and 8-0 against National Division teams. Bethel-Tate is 8-9 overall and 5-2 in the National.
“Another good team win under our belt,” BHS coach Aaron Lawson said. “A game where many players stepped up and contributed. We had timely hits by Dylan Fawley, Chris Farrow and Dustin Howard.”
Eric Patton came into the game in the fourth inning as a pitcher and kept Blanchester in the game.
“He slowed the game down,” Lawson said of Patton. “He pitched to contact and our defense came up by committing no errors.”
Fawley had a two-run single in the first. Farrow had a run-scoring pinch hit.
It was Howard who had the biggest hit. Prior to the sixth, Howard walked three times. But with Blanchester down 7-6 in the top of the sixth, Howard ripped a three-run triple to put the Wildcats on top then Patton made it stand for the victory.
SUMMARY
April 24, 2017
@Bethel-Tate High School
Blanchester 9 Bethel-Tate 7
BL 210.123.0…..9-6-0
BT 003.220.0…..7-6-2
(9) BLANCHESTER (ab-r-h-rbi) Creighton 4-0-0-0 Rausch 3-2-1-0 Monhollen 3-2-2-1 Bandow 2-2-0-0 Howard 1-2-1-3 Fawley 3-0-1-2 Griffin 1-0-0-0 Davidson 2-0-0-0 Waialae 1-0-0-0 Farrow 1-0-1-1 Patton 2-0-0-0 Anderson 3-1-0-0. TOTALS 26-9-6-7
2b: Rausch
3b: Howard
SAC: Davidson
SB: Rausch, Bandow 2, Howard, Griffin 2, Davidson, Anderson
PITCHING (ip-h-r-er-bb-so)
Waialae 3.2-3-5-5-6-2
Patton (W) 3.1-3-2-2-1-0