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Hayes’ Lauren Tompkins, center, is congratulated by her teammates after hitting a three-run homer in the third inning of Thursday’s OCC showdown against visiting Canal Winchester.
Ben Stroup | The Gazette
Lauren Tompkins, Rylea Gist and Addison Holt all homered as the Delaware Hayes softball team cruised past visiting Canal Winchester — the only team to hand the Pacers a league loss this season — 14-3 in five innings Thursday night in Delaware, getting a little payback and moving into the pole position atop the OCC-Capital Division in the process.
The win bumped Hayes’ record to 13-2 overall and 10-1 in league play with just three games to go. A win over defending OCC champ Westerville North (12-4, 10-2) today at home would ensure at least a share of the crown.
First thing was first Thursday against the Indians, though, and the Pacers took care of business early.
They plated eight runs in the first inning and only added on from there.
Gist started the surge, connecting on a two-run homer to match Kendal McCrea’s two-run blast in the top half of the inning and make it a 2-2 game in the first. Tompkins then doubled home Lizzy Gould to put the Pacers ahead for good before they promptly added another five runs before the inning came to a close.
Tompkins’ three-run homer made it 11-2 in the third and Holt smashed a solo shot in the fourth to balloon the edge to 12-3.
Tompkins finished a perfect 4-for-4 with two runs and four RBI; Gist had two hits, two runs and four knocked in; and Holt was 2-for-2 with two runs and two RBI of her own.
Bronwynn Leighty was solid in the circle as well, allowing three runs on seven hits while striking out nine and walking just one in the complete-game win.
Olentangy Orange 2, Hilliard Bradley 1
Gauri Naik came up with a clutch two-out, two run single in the fifth as the Pioneers flipped a one-run deficit into a one-run win over the visiting Jaguars Thursday night in Lewis Center.
Anna Wilming earned the complete-game win in the circle, allowing a run on five hits while striking out five.
Also: Dublin Scioto 10, Big Walnut 1; Marysville 15, Olentangy Berlin 5, 6 inn.
BASEBALL
Delaware Hayes fell into an early 1-0 hole, but scored six unanswered to top first-place Dublin Scioto, 6-1, Thursday night in Dublin.
The Pacers got the equalizer on an error in the third before getting some key hits in the fifth to plate three and take control for good. Eyan Teegardin singled to score Dalton Allen with what proved to be the game-winning run before Landon Green’s two-run single made it 4-1.
Hayes got a couple more insurance runs in the seventh to smooth out the scoring summary.
Green had two hits and two RBI while Preston Simon and Teegardin also had two hits apiece.
Colin Milligan took care of the rest from the mound, allowing just the one run on four hits while striking out seven en route to the complete-game win.
Big Walnut 4, Westerville North 3, 9 inn.
Teddy Dancer worked a one-out walk, moved to third on an error and came around to score on a wild pitch as the Golden Eagles outlasted the visiting Warriors, 4-3, in nine innings Thursday night in Sunbury.
Big Walnut scored single tallies in the third, fourth and fifth innings to take a 3-1 lead before North evened things back up with two in the sixth.
Dancer finished 2-for-2 in the win, scoring twice.
Carson Stanford earned the win on the mound, allowing just three hits and striking out two in four scoreless innings of relief.
Olentangy Berlin 1, Olentangy 0
The Bears’ Kyle Hagg tossed a gem, limiting the host Braves to just three hits while striking out six en route to a complete-game shutout Thursday night in Lewis Center.
Berlin scored the game’s lone run in the fifth when Baret Spencer singled home Ascher Dent, who doubled to start the inning.
Also: Liberty Christian 5, Delaware Christian 2; Olentangy Orange 12, Hilliard Davidson 4.