Western Brown’s Brandon Hammersley goes for a bunt in the Broncos’ win over Batavia.


By Wade Linville – 

Trailing 4-1 in their final bat of the day, the Western Brown Broncos rallied to score four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to capture a 5-4 league victory over the visiting Batavia Bulldogs on April 12.
It was the bottom half of the Western Brown batting lineup that took care of business in the bottom of the seventh with four consecutive hits coming off the bats of senior Drew Day, sophomore Austin Stigers, sophomore Ty Crall, and junior Brandon Hammersley with the winning run scoring with two outs.
The Broncos failed to score a run in the first four innings of play while facing Batavia on April 12.
The Bulldogs led 3-0 after four-and-a-half innings of play before they were able to score their first run in the bottom of the fifth inning after Stigers hammered out a single and later scored.
The Bulldogs upped their lead to 4-1 by scoring one run in the top of the sixth inning and managed to hold the Broncos run-less in the bottom of the frame.
With senior Zach Holtkamp at the mound after relieving starter Eli Crall who pitched the first five innings, the Bronco defense was able to hold the Bulldogs run-less in the top of the seventh inning.
Holtkamp earned the win, showing good control at the mound while walking only one batter, giving up only two hits and one run. Holtkamp only struck out one, but was backed by good fielding in the final two innings.
Stigers led Bronco batters, going perfect with three hits in three at-bats and scoring twice.
Day went one-for-two at the bat with a walk, scoring once.
Ty Crall also went one-for-two batting with a walk and scoring once.
Western Brown senior Logan Nickell swung for one hit in three at-bats with one RBI.
Hammersley went one-for-three at the bat with two RBIs.
Eli Crall threw for four strikeouts in five innings at the mound, giving up two earned runs (three runs total), five hits, and four walks.
The Broncos rose to a 3-5 overall record and a 2-3 record in Southern Buckeye Athletic/Academic Conference American Division play with the win over the Bulldogs.
After falling to Chillicothe in both games of a double header on April 13 (8-7, 6-5), the Broncos were back on their home field on April 14 to claim a 17-1 non-league victory over the Georgetown G-Men.
The Broncos then topped Goshen 24-1 in a league contest at Western Brown in Monday’s round of high school baseball action.
The Broncos were scheduled to host Clinton Massie for a non-league game on April 18, and on April 19 they were scheduled to host Norwood for a league contest.