ELIDA – It was more than just a coincidence. There appeared to be a connection.
Leipsic’s best defensive play might have led to some game-defining hitting by the Vikings when they beat Kalida 6-2 to win the Division IV Ottawa baseball district championship on Sunday at Elida’s Ed Sandy Field.
The Vikings (22-5) will play Edon at 5 p.m. Thursday in a semifinal of the Division IV regional at Patrick Henry High School.
Leipsic took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against Kalida, a team which ended its season in the district championship game a year ago.
Kalida appeared on its way to tying the game or possibly going ahead with runners on first and second base with one out in the bottom of the third inning when its No. 3 hitter Derek Buss lined an opposite field shot toward left centerfield.
But Leipsic left fielder Cole Rieman tracked down Buss’ shot and his throw back to the infield turned into a rally freezing double play when it caught Trent Siebeneck retreating toward second base.
“I think that play kind of pumped us up a little bit. That’s a typical play that Cole Rieman will make. No matter where you put him defensively, he just makes great plays. You can put him anywhere – short stop, second base, pitcher,” Leipsic coach Darren Henry said.
“I think that kind of gave us a little boost,” he said.
Rieman saw it the same way as his coach. “I think it really set the momentum for the rest of the game. I think we were more focused,” he said.
Focused, or maybe just finding more pitches they liked, Leipsic’s first four hitters in the top of the fourth inning got hits right after the double play.
Robbie Laubenthal led off with a double and Jordan Berger followed with a double to score pinch-runner Drew Liffick. Devin Hiegel singled to score Berger for a 3-0 lead and Nick Schey followed with another single.
Kalida cut the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Jeffrey Knueve was hit by a pitch, moved up on a wild pitch and scored on Owen Recker’s single.
The Wildcats got the lead down to 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth when Siebeneck walked, went to third on a double by Kevin Hamburg and scored on a ground out by Buss.
But Leipsic put the game away with three runs in the top of the sixth when Chris Basinger’s bases-loaded squeeze bunt scored Berger, who had singled, and Rieman’s single brought in Devin Hiegel and Schey.
Leipsic’s win came over the team which had knocked it out of the tournament in 10 innings a year ago and also had beaten the Vikings by one run during the 2016 regular season.
This year, Leipsic beat the Wildcats 5-1 during the regular season, which helped it claim a share of the Putnam County League title, before Sunday’s win.
“Last year, that extra-inning game was tough. We lost to them 3-2 twice. One was the bottom of the seventh and the other was extra innings,” Henry said.
“We knew today was going to be tough. Yeah, it feels good,” he said.
Leipsic starter Dylan Schroeder pitched 4 1/3 innings, allowed two runs and three hits, struck out three and walked two.
After Kalida put runners on second and third base with one out in the fifth inning, Grant Rader came in and shut out the Wildcats over the last 2 2/3 innings.
Rader retired nine of the 10 hitters he faced. The only Kalida hitter to reach base against him got there when he was hit by a pitch. He struck out the side in the seventh inning to end the game.
“Grant was perfect in that situation. He just throws strikes,” Henry said. “He’s walked four kids all year in about 50 innings. He has had seven-inning games and he has thrown 72 pitches. He just comes right at you.”
Kalida coach Joe Recker said, “That’s a well-coached team. They play defense, they throw strikes, they do not beat themselves. We tried but we just did not execute in some key situations and that hurt us.”
Leipsic has won 16 of its last 17 games. This is its first trip to the regional since 2012. Kalida finished 12-11.
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