IBERIA — With post-season play right around the corner, two area teams got in a non-conference contest Thursday evening at The Castle.

Northmor prevailed 13-8, but Crestline scored six runs in the last two innings to keep it close.

The Lady Knights honored its two seniors — Lexi Wenger and Bryston Yeater — prior to the game played under cloudy, rainy conditions.

“One is a first-year player and hasn’t played since she was 9 or 10. She’s actually playing center field and doing a great job defensively. The other one is a four-year letterman. She’s a ball playing-family kid and she worked really hard to get where she was and had a great night tonight,” said Northmor coach Matt Wiseman.

Freshman pitcher Kate Kissling had another strong pitching performance, striking out five batters and walking one.

“We’ve been playing pretty good; at one point we were 2-9 and now we’re up to 10-12. The young kids are starting to play like I envisioned the way they would play early, getting some games under their belt,” Wiseman said.

Crestline took a 2-0 lead when Maddie Engler and Lillian Higgins got base hits, coupled with a fielding error. Northmor added two in its half of the first inning when Mahalia Strobel singled to left to bring in a pair of base runners, including Raelyn Fulk who had singled.

The hosts went up 6-2 and padded that to 13-4 with a seven-run sixth inning where 12 batters went to the plate.

The catalyst was a home run — McKenna VanDyke’s three-run bomb to center field — that made it 9-4.

Lady Bulldogs (6-6) coach Jackie Flinders said her team started quickly.

“We say we want to win each inning. The first two runs of the game, the top of my lineup, they’re contact hitters. The rest of the lineup kind of plays into whatever our plans are,” she said.

“We try to space everyone out, so when any situation comes in … We’re still messing around with it. It might be ’til the last game we’re still messing around with it.”

Playing in a five-team league, the Mid-Buckeye Conference, presents a challenge.

“It’s hard because by the time we want to play, and we have these games scheduled, everything gets canceled, and they play their league games.”

Crestline plays Monday at home against Seneca East (2-12) in the Division IV sectional semifinals.

“We don’t even know when our Senior Night is. We are gonna put games on there and play as many games as we can. These kids have to get better, and they want to play,” Flinders said.

“Yes, the tournament is very important. That’s what you work for all year. But it doesn’t mean if you get knocked out of that you give up. You still want to play some games. That’s our goal right now. We want to have practices that are productive. I hate being inside.”

The ‘Dogs have just one senior.

“There’s a lot of kids being put in different situations. I got a kid who never played a day of infield in her life. After I seen her for a practice and a half, I said I can make her an infielder.”

One positive aspect is that her players are interchangeable.

“I have some kids who can play multiple spaces. So that’s nice if we have to get them to fill in. It’s a young team and you can teach them.”

Post-season play is unpredictable.

“I tell the girls you can win every game and lose your first game at sectionals. You can lose every game and go super far. Anything’s possible,” Flinders said.

“I ride Brooklyn’s (Gregory) arm. She’s my solo pitcher. Trying to ride her arm as much as we can,” she said of the junior who was 8-8 last season.

Northmor also is prepared for post season play.

“The pitching has been rock solid. Kate has just matured 10-fold since day one. She’s starting to really pitch and not just throw,” Wiseman said.

“McKenna missed a whole week and is now in her fourth game back. That was her second home run in four games. She’s hitting about .800 over those four games.

“She’s starting to really hit the ball hard. She’s glad to be back. She lost half a season last year with a broken foot. Her freshman year she lost because of COVID, so she’s yet to play a full season.”

The Lady Knights will play the winner of Fisher Catholic/Madison Plains Division IV sectional contest at home next Wednesday.

Box score

Crestline      200 002 4          8      13       1

Northmor    220 207 X        13      13       1

WP: Kate Kissling (5 SO, 1 W)

LP: Brooklyn Gregory (4 SO, 4 W)

HR: (N) McKenna Van Dyke (3-run, sixth inning).

Triples: (N) Madison Simpson.

Doubles: (N) McKenna Van Dyke, ; (C) Emma Kirby, Maddi Engler.

Multiple hits: (N) McKenna Van Dye, Taylor Cantrell, Mahalia Strobel, Raelyn Fulk; (C) Ashlyn Calnek, Maddie Engler, Brooklyn Gregory.

Records: Crestline 6-6; Northmor 10-12.

Next: Seneca East at Crestline, Monday; Northmor at Galion, Monday.