Eagles' Season Ends in District Championship Game

Jacob Priggel scores, much to the delight of
Drew Reischman, during a 4-3 8inning loss
to Bell City during the C1D2 championship game.

After four consective district titles, the Eagles will be forced to try and start a new streak next year as they fell to the number-one seed Bell City Cubs on Friday 4-3 in eight innings.

Both teams were scoreless through three innings.  Oran, the visiting team by virtue of their number two seed, drew first blood in the top of the fourth inning.  A lead-off walk and a stolen base by Jacob Priggel, followed by a single into right-center by Hunter Schlosser and the Eagles were on top.

The lead lasted until the bottom of the fifth when, as has happened so many times, a defensive lapse hurt the team.  In that inning a one-out walk was followed by a single putting runners on first and second.  After a fly ball to right field recorded the second out an error allowed the tying run to score and had runners at second and third.  A walk loaded the bases and then a hard-hit infield-single allowed two more to score.

In the top of the seventh, with Oran down by two, Blake Overfield led off with a single.  Ben Heuring  followed with his second hit of the day, a single mis-played by the outfielder that allowed Overfield to score and allowed Heuring to wind up at second base.  Tanner McVay then laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt that advanced the tying-run to third.  Thomas Trankler then hit a sacrifice fly just deep enough to drive in the tying run.

After a one-two-three bottom of the seventh, Oran had a chance to take the lead in the eight but it wasn't meant to be.  Priggel led off with a walk, his third of the day.  On the second pitch to Schlosser, Priggel attempted to steal second base, but Bell City guessed right and called a pitch-out.  A perfect throw down and Priggel was the first out of the inning.  Three pitches later the Eagles had another chance as Schlosser hit a long, towering fly ball to left-center.  The fielder dropped the ball and Schlosser was on second with one out. But a hard-hit line-drive and a ground out ended the threat.

A lead-off walk started the bottom-half of the eighth.  That was followed by a one-out single that - following the throw into third - had runners on at second and third.  An intentional walk, loaded the bases, setting up the force play at home.  But a hard hit ground ball on the left side past the drawn-in infield allowed the winning run to cross the plate and give the Bell City Cubs their first district championship in 25 years.

Heuring had two of the Eagles' five hits and claimed the Bank of Advance star of the game.

Schlosser got the start on the mound.  He went four and two-thirds innings and allowed three runs, none earned, on three hits.  He walked two and struck out four. Trankler took the loss in relief, going the last two and two-thirds. He gave up one run, it was earned, on two hits, two walks (one intentional) and struck out three.

Oran finished at 15-7 and say goodbye to four seniors:  Ben Heuring, Jacob Priggel, Hunter Schlosser and Thomas Trankler. These four were apart of three district champions, two final fours and one state championship.