DANE FUELLING
WZBD.com
NEW HAVEN – Landon Lybarger and Max Mirelez combined to hold Marion to two hits Wednesday and Cam Rauner drove in three runs as the Heritage Patriots defeated the Giants, 8-0, in their postseason opener at New Haven.
The victory pits the Patriots in a rematch against Bellmont on Thursday afternoon for a spot in the sectional championship game. Norwell and New Haven will play the second semifinal afterwards.
Lybarger escaped an early jam when the Giants put two on with two out in the first inning, making a great defensive play off the mound to get the final out. He did not give up his second and only other hit until the fourth inning.
By the fourth inning, Heritage already had a 2-0 lead. Eli Rauner and Beau Stoppenhagen led off the top of the third with singles and Iastyn Roe loaded them up with an infield single, setting up Cam Rauner for his big moment. The shortstop drove in both runs with one of his two doubles, this one to left field to open the scoring.
That 2-0 score held until the fifth inning, when Rauner doubled again to make it a 4-0 game, scoring Lucas Taylor with a hit to center field. Rauner later scored on a wild pitch.
Max Mirelez pitched the seventh, replacing Lybarger, who threw 84 pitches and struck out six. Mirelez worked around two walks and was aided by a great throw by Brady Boyle, gunning down a runner to erase one of those free passes.
Beau Stoppenhagen and Landon Lybarger also had two hits, like Rauner, in the victory.
With their third win in a row, the Patriots are now 16-5.
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