Northern Tier Sports ReportCANTON — Canton baseball came up short against Athens, 15-7 in six innings, in their season finale during NTL action Wednesday.
The Wildcats led 5-2 after one, but Canton struck back with three runs in the second to cut it to 6-5. They would tie it up at 7-all after the fourth.
However, it was all Athens after that as they scored four runs in each of the fifth and sixth innings to pull away.
Bailey Gardner (3-for-3) had two home runs, 5-RBI, and three runs scored, as Michael Beers (3-for-4) had a double with 2-RBI.
Ben Fitch (1-for-4) scored a run, along with Luke Crawley, and Aaden Dowling, as Zach Colton (1-for-4) had a hit.
Grant Pepper started, going an inning with one strikeout, one walk, six hits, and six runs, four of which were earned.
Holden Ward tossed 2 1/3-innings with five strikeouts, three walks, no hits, and one earned run. Gardner then went an inning with three strikeouts, four walks, no hits, with three runs scored, and an earned run.
Reed Taylor went two-thirds of an inning with one hit, two walks, and three runs, two of which were earned.
Fitch then pitched two two batters, walking two, before Rylan Wesneski finished out, striking out one with one hit in an inning of work.
In the first Fitch opened things up with a single, followed by Gardner hitting a 2-run home run to make it 5-2.
In the second Crawley and Ward were both hit by a pitch. After an out Gardner singled in Crawley, followed by Beers driving in Isaac Colton, Ward’s courtesy runner, to make it 6-5.
In the fourth Dowling had a lead-off walk, then scored on a Gardner’s second 2-run home run of the evening.
Canton finishes the season 6-13.
