MASON — The Ohio Northern women’s tennis team fell to John Carroll 5-1 Saturday in the finals of the 2017 Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The second-seeded Polar Bears end their season with a 22-5 record.
The top-seeded Blue Streaks (16-9) earn the league’s automatic bid into the NCAA III Tournament.
Christina Corbean and Brittany Toney won 9-8 (10-4) at No. 2 doubles for Northern’s lone point. Corbean was leading in her No. 4 singles match 4-6, 6-3, 2-0 when John Carroll clinched the match with its fifth team point.
Men’s golf
OSU Lima third
LANCASTER — OSU Lima/Rhodes State finished third overall at the 10-team Ohio Regional Campus State Tournament which concluded Saturday at the par-72 Valley View.
The Barons, who finished third in the conference during the regular season, shot a 328 for a team total of 672. Ohio University-Lancaster finished first at 657 followed Miami University-Hamilton (663).
Leading the way for OSU Lima was Paulding graduate Shane Lumpkins, who shot a 78 Saturday and finished with the third-best two-day total of 158). Also with noteworthy efforts for the Barons were Minster graduate Chip Perryman (81, 167), Lima Central Catholic grad Jim Thatcher (84, 167) and Spencerville alum Mitchell Youngpeter (85, 171). Miami-Hamilton’s James Leisinger was medalist with a 68 Saturday and a two-round total of 145.
Perryman earned second team ORCC honors for the season.
Baseball
Bath grad
recognized
WESTERVILLE — Otterbein University senior pitcher Caleb Norton, a Bath graduate, has been named to the Division III CoSIDA Academic All-District team, announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Senior pitcher Caleb Norton (Lima/Bath) earned the nod as one of two pitchers, while junior Bryan Stopar (Westerville/DeSales) was one of two designated hitters to be voted.
Norton was chosen for district seven, which is comprised of schools from Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. He now advances to the Academic All-America ballot, with first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees.
Norton recently graduated with a perfect 4.00 GPA in allied health and is a an All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) relief pitcher that has served as Otterbein’s closer for three-plus seasons. He is the program’s career leader in saves (21) and appearances (73), along with holding single-season record in both categories as well.
This season, Norton is currently 2-0 with a 1.65 E.R.A. and eight saves, the latter good enough to rank him top-10 nationally. His 28 pitching appearances this spring leads the nation.
To be eligible for Academic All-District and All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
UNOH’s Proctor
receives honor
LIMA — The University of Northwestern Ohio’s Damon Proctor was recognized by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) as a member of the 2016-17 CoSIDA Academic All-District Baseball Team.
Proctor has an 11-0 record on the mound and is tied for the third most wins in the NAIA and second most among undefeated pitchers. His 1.59 ERA is the fifth lowest while also pitching UNOH’s first ever perfect game against Union (Ky.) College during a contest which began Feb. 11 and concluded the following day.
As a first-team District 1 selection, Proctor advances to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
Softball
ONU duo honored
ADA — Ohio Northern’s Kirsten Lightel and Hailee Loughman have been named All-Ohio Athletic Conference.
Lightel earned her third All-OAC accolade in as many years, and has been named First Team All-OAC for the second time in her career.
The junior led the OAC in three major pitching categories as she posted a 1.01 ERA, 14 victories in the pitchers circle and led the conference with 128 K’s.
Lightel is Northern’s all-time career strikeout leader, career ERA leader and ranks second all-time at ONU with 46 career victories as a pitcher.
Loughman earned her first career All-OAC honor as she was named Honorable Mention All-OAC.
The sophomore led the team and ranked fifth in the OAC with 32 RBI during the regular season and also led the team and ranked fifth in the OAC with five home runs.
All-WHAC selections
LIMA — The 2017 Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference awards were recently released with Grace Jackson and Maranda Stansbery leading the way for the University of Northwestern Ohio squad as First Team All-Conference selections.
Jackson, started in 41 contests while playing 43 for the Racers. Most of her playing time was as UNOH’s centerfielder while she contributed heavily at the plate. She ended the regular season with the second-highest batting average on the team with a .382 mark while leading the team with a .625 slugging percentage. Her five home runs were tied for the most on the team.
As a junior left fielder from Sycamore, Ohio, Stansbery started in all 51 of the contests in which she competed. Her .380 batting average narrowly trailed Jackson as she proved to be reliable as the Racers’ leadoff hitter with a .402 on-base percentage. Her four triples on the year are the second most of any player in UNOH history while also adding a team-high five stolen bases.
Joining the duo with Second Team All-Conference honors were Macey Harder, Kelly Merkle, and Heather Sanderson. Harder found her groove as the team’s designated player by posting a team-best .393 batting average, 37 RBI, and 20 doubles. Merkle also provided a reliable source of hitting with a .343 batting average. As UNOH’s pitching ace, Sanderson became the program leader in season and career wins thanks to her 19-9 record in the circle.
The Racers’ Kristen Buck, Malorrie Huber, Chelsea Miller, Casey Yingst, Merkle, and Sanderson were honored as members of the All-Academic Team.
Kendall Benning was selected as UNOH’s Champions of Character Team representative as she best showcased the five core values of the NAIA: respect, integrity, responsibility, service leadership, and sportsmanship.
Tourney rescheduled
SYLVANIA — The second day of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference Softball Tournament has been postponed to Monday due to the severe weather forecast.
The University of Northwestern Ohio will play the University of Michigan-Dearborn at noon Monday. The event will remain at Pacesetter Park in Sylvania.
High schools
Baseball
Defiance 1, Van Wert 0
VAN WERT — Lawson Blackmore allowed a hit and three walks while striking out 11 in eight innings of work for Van Wert. Winning pitcher Braden Frederick went eight innings, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out eight. Nick Gutierrez and Hayden Maples each had a hit for the host Cougars.
Shawnee 6, Russia 3
RUSSIA — Winning pitcher Tyler Hall doubled and singled, John Caprella had two hits and an RBI and A.J. Brown had two hits for Shawnee. Hall allowed no earned runs and two walks while striking out five in 3 1/3 innings of work.
Lima Senior
game postponed
LIMA — The Mansfield Senior at Lima Senior Division I sectional game scheduled for Saturday was postponed until 3 p.m. today at Simmons Field located at Heindel Avenue. Admission will be $4 for students and $6 for adults. All tickets will be sold at the gate.
Track & field
Roosevelt Memorial
DAYTON — The Lima Senior girls finished in sixth place in the 19-team Don Mitchell Roosevelt Memorial with 68 points. Kings with the team winner with 131 points.
Briana Wright won the discus (125-0) and was sixth in the pole vault (7-06) and the triple jump (29-05), Ricquel Williams won the shot put (39-7.75), Suerethia Henderson was second in the 100 (12.1) and third in the 200 (24.98), Dominque Moore was third in the 100 hurdles (15.63), Moore, Corion McDonald-Gordon, Kamry Brown and Henderson were third in the 400 relay (49.78), Lexi Williams, Paige Lofton, Itayia Harris and Moore were third in the 400 shuttle hurdle relay, the team of Harris, Henderson, McDonald-Gordon and Brown finished fourth in the 800 relay (1:45.55) and Te’OSha Williams was fourth in the pole vault (82-05) for the Spartans.
The Lima Senior boys finished 18th with four points. Kyius Simpson finished seventh in the 1,600 (5:06.27) and Ryan Moore was seventh in the shot put (37-5) for the Spartans. Oak Park was the team winner with 158 points.
