Bats come alive

CELINA - For a Celina team that has struggled to bring runs across this season, Wednesday was just what the doctor ordered.

The Bulldogs scored in every inning, including 10 in a wild fourth inning en route to opening the Division II baseball sectional with a 21-1 win over Fostoria at Montgomery Field.

Celina (7-17) travels to Shawnee Township on Friday to face the top-seeded Indians. Shawnee won 7-4 in the teams' regular season meeting on April 13 at Montgomery Field.

"They did a good job adjusting to the pitching," said Celina coach Andy Waesch, referring to Fostoria's pitchers throwing slower than what Celina usually sees. "We started hitting the ball hard. That was good."

The Redmen (2-18), which had been outscored 104-10 in their previous five games and have only allowed fewer than 10 runs in three games this season, came ready to play as they drew first blood in the top of the first. Matthew Balderama led off with a walk, stole second, went to third on a ground out and then scored on Jared Durst's single.

But that was all when it came to offense as Quinn Andrew retired the next two batters to end the inning and went 1-2-3 in the second inning. Dylan Feister retired all six batters he faced over the next two innings and Quade Gilmore hit the first batter he faced in the fifth but struck out the next three to end the game.

"Sometimes you have to give up that run early to remind yourself, 'Oh, yeah, we have to play this game,' " said Waesch. "You have to come ready to go."

Celina, which had been outscored 45-7 in its last three games, quickly bounced back and got its offense with four runs in the bottom of the first. The Fostoria errors led to three unearned runs coming across.

After getting a run in the second, Celina plated six in the third to set up a run-rule. Zach Hirsch had a two-run triple and Dylan Feister added a two-run single as Celina sent 11 batters to the plate.

The coup de grâce came in the fourth as Celina sent 14 to the plate, with several pinch-hitters getting two chances to hit in the inning. Hirsch added another two-run single and pinch-hitters Carter Altstaetter and Jackson Hassan each had RBI singles in the 10-run inning.

"That's hard to do: to come off the bench and hit the ball hard," said Waesch, whose squad only struck out one time on the game. "I always have respect for guys coming in."

Hirsch was a home run away from hitting for the cycle and drove in three runs. Feister had four RBI. Brandon Staugler had three hits and Andrew finished with two hits.

Now the Bulldogs take on the Indians. All three pitchers will be able to go after keeping their pitch counts down and only needing one mandatory day of rest.

"That was part of (the plan)," said Waesch. "Get what you need done (today) and get ready to go on Friday and give them your best shot."