PAULDING – A five-run fifth inning by visiting Kalida proved to be the difference as the Wildcats doubled up host Paulding 8-4 Monday night in high school baseball play.
Leading 1-0 entering the fifth, Kalida plated five runs in the visitors half of the fifth to extend the margin to 6-0.
Paulding did answer with three runs in the home portion of the inning but the Putnam County squad answered with two runs in the sixth to expand the margin back to 8-3. The Panthers closed the scoring with a single run in the seventh.
Logan Kerner singled twice and scored once to lead Kalida with Braylon Smith, Caden Looser and Jack Stechschulte adding a single apiece.
Smith and Looser both scored twice for the Wildcats while Kerner, Adam Bockrath, Ethan Wehri and Jacob Siebeneck touched home plate once each. Siebeneck also drove in two runs with Looser, Smith, Griffin Klausing and Stechschulte picking up a run batted in apiece.
Kobe Foor recorded two singles with Grady Barton posting a single and a double for the Paulding offense. Greyson Harder finished with a single for the Panthers while Casey Agler, Hunter Couts, Foor and Colten Hunt all scored once. Barton drove in two runs and Harder picked up one run batted in.
