Missing for much of the season due to injury, Landon Lybarger threw a complete game against Bluffton Saturday, ending the Tigers’ hopes of an unbeaten ACAC season.
The Patriots had single tallies in three different innings to defeat the Tigers, 3-2, giving Bluffton a 5-1 record along with Adams Central at the top of the conference. Jay County finished 4-2, while Heritage and Woodlan shared fourth place with even 3-3 records.
Lybarger was near his best Saturday, throwing all seven innings and allowing just two hits. He struck out three batters and worked around four walks to earn the victory with just 93 pitches.
The Tigers got both their runs in the third inning with sacrifice flies. Otherwise, Lybarger allowed just three baserunners in his other six innings.
Ironically, the Patriots also had just two hits in the victory. Bluffton starter Griffin Morgan allowed just a leadoff single in the fourth, which turned into a run, in his four innings of work.
Beau Stoppenhagen had the other hit, also a single, as he scored and also reached on a walk from the leadoff position.
Heritage will open sectional play at New Haven against Marion at 4 p.m. Wednesday. That contest can be heard on 92.7 FM.
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