GALION — All Nicki Thomas wanted to do was put the ball in play. She knew if she did, good things would happen.

The Galion leftfielder stood in the left-hand batter’s box and calmly waited. The Tigers had the bases loaded in the bottom of the tenth inning with one out in a 3-3 tie.

“I just wanted to get (the ball) in play somewhere,” Thomas said. “I knew that if we got it in play, our baserunning was well enough that they would know what to do with it.”

Thomas lined a single into left field, scoring Gracie Groves, as the Tigers won, 4-3, in 10 innings in the final of the Division III sectional tournament at Galion’s Heise Park.

With the win, the Tigers improved to 16-4 on the season and will face Milan Edison — a 6-0 winner over Clear Fork — in the district semifinal on May 15 at Lexington High School. Huron dropped to 12-6 on the season.

With the game on the line, Thomas reached out and slapped a shot to left field to score the game winner.

“My slaps normally go to left field,” Thomas said. “When they do, it makes it a lot easier to prepare for it.”

The other key play of the game occurred in the top of the tenth inning.

Huron had a runner on third and two outs, and third baseman Jenny Cobleigh slammed a line drive into right-center field.

Centerfielder Gabby Kaple raced into the gap and made a diving, rolling catch to deny Huron the lead run.

Galion coach Douglas Hunt said that his team was good defensively the entire game.

“Our defense did a great job tonight,” Hunt said. “Our pitcher was on. I can’t say enough about some of the defensive plays that we made all over the field. It’s not like any one player, but it was all over the field.”

The Tigers finished with 16 hits on the game but left 14 runners on the bases.

“We had trouble making adjustments at first,” Hunt said. “We started making adjustments later in the game and that allowed us to get baserunners. The girls played well. They did a great job.”

Huron coach Abby Cook said that her team also played well.

“We left runners on a few times and Sarah pitched a heck of a game,” Cook said. “She gave everything she had. Our defense was pretty solid. Our sticks just weren’t alive today.”

Galion took a 1-0 lead in the first inning on a Kaple double down the left-field line and Kate Schieber singled.

Huron scored all three of their runs in the third inning on a run-scoring single from Madison Beldan and a two-run single from Kennedy Camp.

Galion began chipping away at the lead on a Navaeh Clark double and an error in the third and tied the game in the fifth on a run-scoring single from Schieber.

Both teams had plenty of opportunities to win the game until Thomas ended it in the bottom of the tenth.

“Huron is a great team,” Hunt said. “They came ready to play and they did a good job.”

“Our baserunning needed a little work,” Cook said. “The nerves got to us. Other than that, you have to give credit to Galion; their defense was solid. They were the better team tonight.”

Galion starter Madelyn Thomas went all 10 innings in the circle and scattered eight hits.

“(Thomas) really battled today,” Hunt said. “She definitely wanted this one tonight. She came out ready to go. We’re super excited for her.”

Huron starter Sarah Herwat also worked all 10 innings. While she permitted 16 hits, she made big pitches to get out of innings. She struck out eight.

“She hit all of her spots,” Cook said of her starter. “They were starting to come around on her, but when they did our defense was right there to help her out a little bit.”

Box score

Galion 4, Huron 3 (10 innings)

Huron     003 000 000 0      3     8     2

Galion    101 010 000 1        4    16    2

WP: Madelyn Thomas (8 SO, 5 W)

LP: Sarah Herwat (4 SO, 3 W)

HR: None

Triples: (H) Jenny Cobleigh.

Doubles: (G) Gabby Kaple, Navaeh Clark.

Multiple hits: (H) Sarah Herwat, Madison Beldan; (G) Kate Schieber 4, Nicki Thomas 3, Emily Sedmak 3, Gracie Groves 3, Navaeh Clark.

Records: Huron 12-6; Galion 16-4.

Next: Huron at Port Clinton, Monday; Galion at Ontario, Saturday.