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Celina's Chance Miller celebrates with teammate Colten Ross (11) after Miller's two-run home run during Tuesday's Division III sectional baseball game at Montgomery Field. The home run helped Celina win 5-1 over Shawnee.
CELINA - When Shawnee managed its first hit and run in the fourth inning of Tuesday's Division III sectional baseball semifinal, Celina shrugged it off, a change from times earlier in the season when such a play could have led to a breakdown.
But the Bulldogs made sure that was all the Indians would get as Brady Steinbrunner pitched a one-hitter to beat Shawnee 5-1 to advance to Thursday's district final against another fellow Western Buckeye League foe, Wapakoneta.
The win was the ninth straight for Celina (15-11) after losing three league games in a span of six days, two by one run.
"We're playing with confidence and playing the way we thought we could play this year," said Celina coach John Dorner. "Hopefully we can keep that going."
Celina got all the offense it needed in the bottom of the first. Brodee Schulte-Arnold, batting .516 during the win streak entering the game, hit a one-out double to bring up Chance Miller, who pitched a no-hitter on Monday. Miller took a 1-1 offering from Kaden Fritchie and put it over the right field fence for his second home run of the season.
"That's three home runs in the last two games," said Dorner. "Brodee stepped up with a big hit and Chance hits one over the fence. That was enormous for us."
The Bulldogs added two more in the bottom of the third as Schulte-Arnold reached on an error. One out later, Brady Steinbrunner doubled home the run. Braylon Steinbrunner followed his brother with a single, Wes Greber grounded to shortstop Tate Bender, who forced out Braylon Steinbrunner at second but the throw to first for the possible double play was wild, making it 4-0.
Meanwhile, Brady Steinbrunner retired the first nine batters he faced, with only one ball going far enough for an outfielder to make the catch with the remaining plays being short pop-outs or infield groundouts.
Brady Steinbrunner pitched a complete-game one-hitter to help Celina to its ninth straight victory.
Bender drew a walk off Brady Steinbrunner to start the fourth to break up the perfect game. Brady Steinbrunner quickly got the next two batters out before plunking Cam Barker to put two on for Ty Rudasill, who hit an 0-1 offering to left to break up the no-hitter and shutout. Brady Steinbrunner wasted no time in striking out AJ Croft to end the threat.
"Early in the year, we were playing in close games and losing," said Dorner. "Now we're playing close games and winning them because people step up and make plays, pitchers make pitches and batters get clutch hits. I like where we're at right now."
Celina's Brodee Schulte-Arnold waits for a pop fly during Tuesday's sectional game against Shawnee.
Celina got the four-run lead back in the fifth as Schulte-Arnold collected his second hit of the day with a single and stole second. After an out, Brady Steinbrunner was hit by a pitch and Braylon Steinbrunner reached on an error to load the bases for Wes Greber, who collected an infield single to score Schulte-Arnold to make it 5-1.
Shawnee managed to get two runners on in the top of the sixth as Cole Sunderland walked and Barker reached on an error - the only error committed by Celina on the day - before Rudasil struck out to end the inning.
In the seventh, Brady Steinbrunner needed just 10 pitches to get a 1-2-3 inning to end the game.
"He did what he needed to do," said Dorner of Brady, who struck out six. "He changed speeds (and) worked ahead in the count, which was one of the things we wanted to make sure he did. He made them swing at his pitches and we played some solid defense behind him."
Logan Sapp and Braylon Steinbrunner joined Schulte-Arnold in collecting two hits on the day.
