By Gary Ogle
news@wbcowqel.com
Take away a shaky start, and the Wynford baseball team played even with the top-seeded New London Wildcats and ace hurler Ryan Lane Wednesday afternoon at Galion in a Division III district semifinal. The Wildcats, 18-7, escaped with a 3-1 win, but knew they had been in a scrap with the Royals, 11-12, when the dust settled at Heise Park.
New London scored twice in the bottom half of the first without the benefit of a hit. The Wildcats held on to the two-run lead until the fourth when the Royals took advantage of a lead-off double by Wyatt Smith and a New London error to score their only run off Lane who entered the game with an ERA of just 0.70. New London matched that run in the fifth for the final score.
Wyatt Smith held the Wildcats hitless through three innings. He eventually gave up four singles, but fanned fanned five while walking four.
Lane struck out 13 and walked one. Jalon Brown and Smith doubled for the Royals and Bryden Oberlander had two singles.
New London will return to Heise Park for Friday’s district championship game with the winner of Wednesday’s second contest between Norwalk St. Paul and Plymouth.