In a thrilling extra-inning showdown, Tippecanoe edged past Butler 5-3 Wednesday night, thanks to a clutch two-run double from Ethan Harney with two outs in the ninth. The win keeps Tippecanoe's playoff hopes alive as they improve to 17-5 overall and 13-3 in the Miami Valley League.
Cayden McKinney set the tone early, matching Butler starter Koby Dues pitch-for-pitch over seven solid innings. When McKinney’s day was done, Carson Jackson took the mound and earned the win in relief, keeping Butler’s bats quiet when it mattered most.
The loss drops Butler to 17-3 overall and 12-2 in the MVL, marking their second defeat in three games. With first-place Troy still holding strong, both Tippecanoe and Butler are hoping for a stumble from the Trojans as the MVL Miami division race heats up. These two rivals will meet again Friday at Wright State.
Elsewhere around the diamond, Beavercreek bounced back from a two-game skid with a dominant 13-0 win over Springfield, improving to 15-5. Fairmont’s Owen Wolgemuth struck out eight over five innings, while Skyler Slifer went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two stolen bases in an 8-2 win over Miamisburg.
Lakota East rallied from a 2-1 deficit in the sixth inning, with Gavin Byrd, Carson Bruce, and Carter Egloff each driving in a run to secure a 4-2 win over Colerain for their fourth straight victory. Lakota West snapped a three-game losing streak behind Caleb Binder’s complete-game effort in a 2-1 win over Mason.
Hamilton ended a 10-game slide with an emphatic 11-1 win over Sycamore, while Lebanon pulled off an upset against Turpin, winning 1-0 behind a combined shutout from Caleb Ritter and Tyler Sexton and a lone RBI double from Mason Hurst. These two will meet again Friday at Day Air Ballpark.
In the CBC Mad River division, Ben Logan clinched the title outright, edging Indian Lake 1-0. Xavier Allen drove in Oliver Morse for the game’s only run in the fifth inning, while Adam Tinsman was nearly unhittable, striking out 10 over seven shutout frames. Urbana stretched its win streak to 10 games, thanks to a home run from Grady Lantz in a 6-2 win over Tecumseh.
Springfield Shawnee’s Kaiden Roeder was a star on both sides, pitching a complete game and going 2-for-4 at the plate with two runs and an RBI in a 6-1 win over Graham. Troy continued its dominant run, notching a tenth straight win with a 13-1 victory over Piqua. Aidan Gorman went deep, and Brady O’Leary drove in three runs on three hits as the Trojans improved to 18-1 overall and 15-1 in the MVL. They can secure at least a share of the MVL Miami title with a win Friday.
Finally, Xenia’s Drew Smith went the distance in a 5-1 win over Fairborn, clinching the MVL Valley title outright with a 10-7 league record. Stebbins also had a big day, routing West Carrollton 13-2 behind Brayden Walters’ triple and three RBI.