Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026
Taming the Lions
Fort Recovery advances to regional final with shut out
By Gary R. Rasberry
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Fort Recovery's Reece Wendel prepares to slide under the leaping Luke Autry (22) of Miami Valley Christian Academy during Tuesday's Division VI regional baseball semifinal at Newton High School. Wendel was safe on the play.
PLEASANT HILL - Quick, painless and easy.
That pretty much describes Fort Recovery's afternoon at Newton High School.
The Indians were one out away from throwing a perfect game and a hot start offensively led to a 10-0 win in five innings over Miami Valley Christian Academy in the Division VI regional baseball semifinals in Pleasant Hill. The game clocked in at one hour and nine minutes.
Fort Recovery returns to the park today at 5 p.m. for a chance for a second trip to state in three seasons. The opponent will be Galion Northmor, which scored five runs in the fifth to overcome a 3-0 deficit, then scored eight in the seventh for a 13-4 win over Dayton Christian.
Fort Recovery coach Kevin Eyink's plan was to keep his main pitchers under the 30-pitch threshold that would allow them to return today.
"Luckily, that worked out," Eyink said of the plan. "We were able to score a bunch of runs early and stick with the plan."
Alex Gaerke got the start and threw 23 pitches over the first two innings, striking out four and allowing just an infield pop to Colson Post at shortstop and a comebacker to the mound for the easy flip.
Caden Homan switched places with Gaerke and took over in the top of the third and went grounder to third, grounder to second and grounder to third for the 1-2-3 inning. The Lions hit their first hard ball to the outfield when Luke Audrey started the fourth with a fly to center that Reece Wendel easily snagged. Back-to-back groundouts to Gaerke at third wrapped up the fourth inning.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Fort Recovery's Alex Gaerke (44) is greeted by teammates Colson Post (1), Luke Fortkamp (77) and Brodie Hart (55) as he comes home after hitting a three-run home run in the first inning against MVCA.
In the fifth, Homan enticed a grounder to second, then another fly to center before James Longstreth took a 1-0 offering to right-center to break up the perfect game. With Homan at 27 pitches Eyink brought on Dylan Klenke to finish the fifth. Klenke issued a walk to Garrett French before striking out Taylor Hiler to end the inning.
"You couldn't ask for anything more," said Eyink. "Guys played a heckuva game today."
The Indians quickly put the game in their basket. Wendel was hit by the first pitch thrown by MVCA's Jack Ventura. Post followed by fouling off several strike threes and drawing a walk to bring up Luke Fortkamp. Fortkamp belted a deep single to right to score Wendel for the opening run. Gaerke then stepped in and hit a shot in the same general direction, only this one cleared the fence for a three-run homer to make it 4-0.
Aidan Frisby took over on the mound for the Lions in the second and allowed just a Wendel double before getting out of trouble. IN the third, Grant Fortkamp belted a triple to right to score Brody Hart and later came home on a single by Homan to make it 6-0.
Photo by Paige Sutter/The Daily Standard
Fort Recovery's Grant Fortkamp connects on one of his two triples during Tuesday's Division VI regional semifinal against Miami Valley Christian Academy at Newton High School.
In the fourth, Hayden Siefring singled. Wendel reached on an error. Siefring stole third, then Wendel and Siefring pulled off the perfect double steal, with Siefring coming home to 7-0. Wendel, who took third on the throw home, looked to have scored when the ball ended up in the dugout, but it was ruled he had not reached third before the ball went in. Nevertheless, Wendel scored on Luke Fortkamp's sacrifice fly.
All that remained was for the Indians to plate two in the bottom of the fifth to send the fans home early and happy. Brodie Hart walked. Grant Fortkamp lasered his second triple of the day to make it 9-0, then scored on Homan's single to the right field fence.
"The boys were ready to hit," said Eyink.
Gaerke, Grant Fortkamp and Homan each had two hits for the Indians. Wendel had four stolen bases with Siefring swiping two.
The Indians took a tough loss to Fairview last year in the Newton regional. The group is ready to return to Stark County.
"I think they're hungry for it," said Eyink, who took Fort Recovery to a state runner-up title in Division IV in 2024. "We've got some experience, a big group of seniors. I think they want it. They'll be ready for it."
