The Otis Bulldogs’ baseball season came to an end last Saturday in the 1A quarterfinals.
Otis came one win away from advancing to the semifinals, going 1-1 at the regional in Akron on a beautiful Saturday. The Bulldogs finished the 2025 season with a 16-7 record.
They first played ninth-seed Holly last Saturday, posting an exciting 11-8 win.
Otis jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. Holly cut it to 4-2 in the top of the third, but the Bulldogs answered with two in the home half.
However, Holly erupted for six runs in the top of the fourth for an 8-6 lead.
The Bulldogs got one run back in the bottom of the fifth. They then came through with a four-run rally in the sixth for an 11-8 lead, and shut the door on Holly in the top of the seventh.
Tayte Smith hit a double and had one run, Austin Hornung a double, three RBI and two runs, Gracen Bechtle a double and one RBI, Paxton Davis one hit, two RBI and two runs, Gavin Price one hit and two runs, JJ Ward three runs, Milo Kendrick one RBI and Mitchell Stivers one run.
Price pitched the first 5-1/3 innings, striking out five, walking seven and yielding three hits. Only one of Holly’s eight runs was earned. Hornung went the final 1-2/3 innings, striking out one and walking two.
Top-seed Akron had cruised to an 18-3 win in the regional’s first game. The Rams continued that dominance in the regional final, handing Otis a 14-1 loss to end the Bulldogs’ season.
Otis took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. However, Akron plated six in the bottom of the second, added one more in the third, then blew it open with a seven-run fourth. Akron had only three more hits than Otis, 9-6, but 11 walks helped doom the Bulldogs.
Smith hit a double and scored Otis’ only run. Kendrick had one hit, Stivers one hit, Bechtle one hit and Ward had two hits and drove in Smith for one RBI.
The loss ended the high school careers of seniors Tayte Smith, Paxton Davis, and JJ Ward.
The 1A tournament wrapped up this past Thursday at All Star Park in Lakewood, with Akron beating Simla and Flatirons Academy for the school’s first baseball championship.