SHELBY — According to Colonel Crawford coach Dan Gorbett, his pitcher, Drayton Burkhart, is a warrior.

“And that kind of describes him his whole career,” Gorbett said of Burkhart. “I just love the way he pitches; he competes. The look he gives me when I say, ‘Hey, can you make it all seven or should I pull you?’ is just get out of my face coach and I just kinda laugh.

“That’s what he did against Oak Harbor, too,” Gorbett added. “I thought he had pretty good stuff today. Against Oak Harbor, he was always in trouble. Again, he just battled and was able to get the outs when he needed it.”

Burkhart fired a complete-game six-hitter, and catcher Carson Feichtner added three RBI, as the top-seeded Eagles downed eighth-seeded Genoa, 4-2, in the semifinal of the Division III district tournament at Shelby High School.

With the win, the Eagles (25-2) will face second-seeded Edison for the district title on Saturday at noon at Shelby High School. Edison advanced to the final with a 3-1 win over ninth-seeded Margaretta in the day’s second game. The winner of the Crawford-Edison game will move on to the Elida regional.

Genoa left 10 runners on base against Burkhart, including seven in scoring position. But the Crawford senior made every big pitch, striking out nine in the game.

“We had runners in scoring position, and we could never get that timely hit,” Genoa coach Gary Nissen said. “I’m proud of the guys, they busted their butts. We got the ball in play; we just couldn’t find that hole.”

Nissen, however, was very impressed with the Crawford pitcher.

“He’s very good,” Nissen said. “He’s a pitcher. He just doesn’t stand out there and blindly throw, he pitches with purpose and he understands what he wants to do and what he has. And he moves the ball very well.”

Feichtner had the big blows of the game, and Crawford was able to hold on.

In the third, after Micah Thomas walked and Cade Hamilton was intentionally walked with one out. Feichtner lined a shot between the outfielders into right-center. Both runners scored and the Eagles held a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Hamilton walked and Feichtner drilled a ball to the fence in left for a double, scoring Hamilton. The next hitter, Burkhart, grounded a single up the middle, scoring Feichtner, and Crawford led, 4-0.

Feichtner said that hitting with runners on base can get the competitive juices flowing.

“Up to bat, when there are guys on base, you want to put the ball in play,” Feichtner said. “When you get a far outfield hit, it’s kinda nice, when you get one RBI that’s nice, when you get two RBI, that’s pretty good.”

Feichtner added that he has had moments where he struggled during the year.

“I’ve had my ups and downs, I’ve been on a roller coaster,” Feichtner added. “When we get through the order once, it’s kinda like we get our groove, and we get things going.”

Genoa cut the lead to 4-2 in the sixth on a Jacob Emerson single, a double from Tommy Giles, and an A.J. Rubeis single.

But from there, Burkhart shut the door.

Nissen said that, despite their sub-.500 record, his team has played better than their mark.

“We played a very competitive schedule,” Nissen said. “We played Coldwater, we played Huron, we’re playing teams that are very good.

“That was one thing that I preached to the guys early; our schedule is going to make us all tougher, to be a tough out in the tournament,” he added. “That’s something we really pride ourselves on. We don’t worry so much about record in the regular season, it’s what you do in the tournament that matters.”

Hamilton was a large thorn in the proverbial side of the Comets, reaching base all four times with a double, single, and two walks. He also scored twice.

“Cade is such a disciplined hitter, so he has like 30-some walks and if you don’t throw him a strike, he’s going to be on first and probably steal second. It’s kinda like a double,” Gorbett said. “He understands, some games he’s going to be able to hit, some games he just has to help the team in other ways.”

Box score

Genoa                          000 002 0        2       6       1

Colonel Crawford    002 020 X        4       5       3

WP: Drayton Burkhart (9 SO, 4 W)

LP: Jacob Emerson (7 SO, 5 W)

HR: None.

Triples: None.

Doubles: (G) Tommy Giles; (CC) Cade Hamilton, Carson Feichtner.

Multiple hits: (CC) Cade Hamilton, Carson Feichtner.

Records: Genoa 11-16; Colonel Crawford 25-2.

Next: Colonel Crawford vs. Milan Edison at Shelby district final, Saturday.