On one of the warmest days of the 2024 baseball season, the Tinora Rams hosted the Otsego Knights on a near perfect late afternoon for baseball as the two teams battled for the Sectional Championship at Grube Field.

Tinora entered as the #3 seed at 19-6, while the visiting Knights entered as the #6 seed, 16-10.

Hunter Bostelman got the ball for the Rams as the starter, while the Knights went with Bodde Simon.

The Knights got right to work as the first two batters reached via walks, Ty O’Brien and Cohen Fehan. O’Brien would score the first run of the game on an RBI single by Bodde Simon for a 1-0 lead. Jaxon Jeremy followed with another RBI single, plating Fehan for a 2-0 lead. Bostelman would settle down, retiring the next 3 Otsego batters. Bostelman would go on to retire 20 of the next 24 batters he faced.

Tinora would cut the lead in half at 2-1 as the Rams would finally get to the Knights starter, Bodde Simon, in the bottom of the third. After the first two Rams were out, Tinora leadoff man Ayden Moser would draw a walk, then steal second base. Ram senior shortstop Kadyn Radzik would double off the glove of Otsego center fielder Devin Silva, scoring Moser. Simon would retire Alec Schaublin to get out of the jam.

The Knights had an opportunity in the top of the fourth to add to their total as they would load the bases with no out. Tinora’s Bostelmna would buckle down and retire the next three Knights to get out of the jam, as the Knights held on to their 2-1 lead after four innings.

Otsego would again threaten in the top of the fifth, Ty O’Brien has hit by a pitch to start the Knights fifth. Bostelman attempted to pick off O’Brien at first, but his throw resulted in an error, allowing O’Brien to scamper around to third base. Unfortunately for the Knights, O’Brien would exit the game with an injury on his slide.

Tinora catcher Alec Schaublin would cut down the pinch runner at third for the first out of the inning, Bostelman would go on to retire the next three hitters, keeping the score at 2-1 Otsego through five.

Otsego’s Bodde Simon would continue to keep the Rams offense off balance over the final two innings.

Tinora would get a runner at second in the bottom of the sixth with no one out. Hunter Bostelman would start the inning with a walk, pinch runner Alex Homier would then steal second base. Simon would get the next three Tinora batters to wiggle out of the mess, keeping the Knights lead at 2-1.

Simon would set the Tinora bats down in order in the bottom of the seventh to preserve the Otsego win.

Tinora sees their season come to an end at 19-7. A fantastic season, gentleman.

Otsego improves to 17-10 and will play Thursday at 5 pm at Defiance High School.

Thanks to the senior class of four, Rylee Peters, Connor Wolfrum, BJ Morlock, and Kadyn Radzik for all you have done for the Tinora baseball program throughout your years.

Pics Tinora Rams Live, Stephanie Helmke, and Jake Essig.