Late Rally Pushes Jay County Past Woodlan in 6-5 Thriller
WOODBURN — A seventh-inning surge by the Jay County Patriots stunned the Woodlan Warriors on Thursday, April 24, as the visiting squad came from behind to earn a narrow 6-5 victory in conference action.
Woodlan looked poised for a win after taking a 5-4 lead into the final frame. The Warriors had built their advantage with a four-run third inning, sparked by solid contact and aggressive baserunning. Sophomore Ashtin Jacquay and senior Clayton Rosier led the way offensively, each going 2-for-4 at the plate. Rosier also drove in three runs, while sophomore Nolan Meeks added two hits and an RBI.
Junior Max Gillenwater contributed with two hits and a run scored, and senior Ethan Trygg and junior Jordan Halsey each added a hit and crossed the plate. In total, Woodlan racked up 11 hits and drew two walks in a game they largely controlled—until the final inning.
Jay County opened strong with two runs in the top of the first but was quiet until the seventh inning, when they struck for two more to reclaim the lead. The key blow came off the bat of Carter Fugiett, who homered and finished the game 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Kade Sommers also went 2-for-4 and knocked in three runs for the Patriots, who totaled nine hits and capitalized on two Woodlan errors.
Meeks took over pitching duties after Halsey’s opening frame and delivered six innings, striking out seven and walking three while allowing four earned runs on six hits. Halsey gave up two early runs in the first inning.
Defensively, Woodlan played solid ball with a .935 team fielding percentage, but a couple of key miscues in high-leverage moments gave Jay County the window they needed to mount their comeback.
The loss drops Woodlan in what has been a tightly contested early season, though the Warriors continue to show depth and promise with contributions from all classes. They’ll look to regroup as they prepare for another round of conference matchups next week.
