The Rams of Tinora, playing in their regular season finale prior to hosting Liberty Center in the OHSAA Sectionals on Saturday, welcomed in the Heritage Patriots from Indiana.

Heritage, a 3A school equivalent to an OHSAA DIV VI school, brought its 15-4 mark to Grube Field to take on the GMC Champions, Tinora Rams, with a 16-4-1 record.

The Patriots wasted little time, grabbing a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Beau Stoppenhagen led off the game with a double and scored on an infield single by Kingston Galentine. The Patriots second run of the inning came on a sac fly from Brady Poyle off Rams starter Grady Stark.

The Rams only run of the game came in the bottom of the first stanza. Logan Stein would walk, steal second, and score on a sac fly from Owen Reynolds off Heritage starter Elijah Rauner.

Heritage increased its lead to 4-2 with two more runs in the top of the second. Zeb Tigulis started the frame with a walk, and Garrett Oliver would reach on a Tinora throwing error. Tigulis would score on an infield groundout, and a 3-0 Patriots lead. Oliver would score from third base on a Stark wild pitch, and a 4-1 lead.

Grady Stark would exit after being hit by a line drive in the top of the fourth inning, and Owen Reynolds would come in from his center field position in relief.

Heritage added two more runs in the top of the fifth off Reynolds. Lucu Taylor started the inning with a leadoff walk. Max Mirelez would walk with one out. After a sac bunt from Brady Boyle moves the runners to second and third, Corbin Saalfrank’s two-out, two-RBI double plates both Taylor and Mirelex for a 6-1 Patriots lead.

The Patriots would put the game away with a five-run sixth, sending the Rams into an 11-1 lead into the sixth off the Rams’ third pitcher, Owen Ferrell. Heritage would send 10 hitters to the plate, collecting the five runs on just 3 hits.

Oliver started the uprising with a leadoff single, followed by a walk to Stoppenhagen. Galentine would single, plating Stoppenhagen for an 8-1 lead. Easton Meyer, running for Oliver, scored on the same play, an outfield error by Tinora.

The Heritage lead swelled to 9-1 on an RBI single off the bat of Lucus Taylor. Jaxon Feasby would reach another Tinora error, one of five for the Rams. Taylor would come around to score on a Jaxon Feasby fielder’s choice and a 10-1 Pats lead. The final run of the inning for Heritage came as Feasby would score on an infield groundout, Feasby would score from second base on hustle.

Heritage’s Beau Stoppenhagen would retire the Rams in the bottom of the sixth for the 11-1 win.

Rauner would get the win, allowing just one run on one hit, a Kolden Snyder single in the bottom of the fifth inning. Rauner, recovering from an arm injury, improved to 2-0 this season.

Heritage improves to 15-4, the Patriots will take on the Fort Wayne Gnerals Saturday.

Tinora sees their regular season end at 16-5-1. The Rams will host Liberty Center on Saturday at 12 pm.

Tickets below:
https://www.ohsaa.org/tickets


A special thanks to Legacy Living in Defiance. They donated $992.50 to the Springs sports programs, bringing their season donation total to $9,162.50 to the Tinora Athletic Department.

Watch it back below: