Bethel’s Evan Johnson just barely beats the throw to first base in the Class C Jr. matchup between the Bethel Bombers and the Batavia Dawgs at Amelia’s Bachelier Park on June 27, 2016.

Remington Holder swings and makes contact with a pitch thrown by the Withamsville Express in the showdown between the two teams on Monday, June 27, 2016 in Amelia.

By Garth Shanklin
Sports Editor

Baseball diamonds across Clermont County were filled with that tell-tale crack of the bat this past weekend as Knothole baseball tournaments began across the area.

East Region Knothole began their postseason with several games in several classes on June 25. The Class D Jr. games, which consist of children under eight years old, were played in Goshen. In gold division action, the Withamsville Lightning earned a victory over the Amelia Wasps, while the Williamsburg Wildcats knocked off the Felicity Bandits. The Goshen Dawgs defeated the Clermont Northeastern Thunder in the final match on Saturday, as those three teams advanced to the quarterfinals of the winner’s bracket.

In the Silver division, the Tealtown Squatches fell to the Batavia Bulldogs. Another team from Tealtown, the Gators, dropped their first-round match to the Bethel Dynamite while the Mt. Orab Patriots knocked off the Tealtown Saints.

In New Richmond, the Class D Sr. matchups, consisting of kids under nine years old,

Bethel’s Gavin Miller blocks the plate and holds on to the ball to record an out in his team’s contest against the Batavia Dawgs in Class C Jr. action, held at Bachelier Park in Amelia on June 27, 2016.

began. The silver division saw the Goshen Freedom knock off the Felicity Cardinals and the Tealtown Thunder defeat the Bethel Storm. In the gold division, the Milford Bandits advanced to the next round by defeating the Batavia Bulldogs. The Goshen Hope Warriors also advanced, earning a victory over the Mt. Orab Reds while the Williamsburg Wildcats rolled past the Georgetown Slammers. The final matchup of the weekend pitted the Tealtown Vikings against the Withamsville Falcons, with Tealtown coming out on top.

Amelia played host to the Class C Jr. games in both the gold and silver divisions. In the gold division, the Milford Heat advanced with a victory. Another team from Milford, the Blue Devils, advanced past the Felicity Redsox in a 12-11 slugfest. The Withamsville Express shut out the Blanchester Ducks 10-0, while the Batavia Dawgs earned a 3-0 win over the Tealtown Warriors.

The silver division saw another shootout, with the Goshen Mad Dogs advancing past the Milford Rams 18-10. Milford’s Coyotes knocked off the Amelia Warriors 25-5, while the Bethel Heat slipped past the Tealtown Ninjas 13-12. The final matchup saw the Mt. Orab Stallions erupt for 21 runs in a 21-13 win over the New Richmond Riverbats.

Evan Wilson prepares to throw the ball to first base in the CNE Hurricanes’ match against the Milford Heat on June 27, 2016 at Bachelier Park in Amelia.

In Class C Sr. (11U) action, Williamsburg played host to four games. The Mt. Orab Firehawks defeated the Bethel Strike Force while the Tealtown Royals advanced to the semifinals of the winners’ bracket with a victory over the Amelia Wolves. The Blanchester Bandits defeated the Mt. Orab Grizzlies, setting up a match with the Tealtown Vipers, who knocked off the Withamsville Dragons.

Four teams traveled to Milford for Class B Jr. (12U) action. The Milford Bearcats fell to the Goshen Heat on June 25, while the Milford Grizzlies emerged victorious over the Amelia Hawks in the gold division.

In the silver division, the CNE Chargers advanced over the Goshen Crush. The Withamsville Revs then defeated the Blanchester Exterminators to finish play.

Goshen also hosted Class B Sr. (13U) action. The Goshen Gators knocked off the Mt. Orab Mambas, setting up a match with the Withamsville Thunder. The Milford Warriors fell to the Mt. Orab Mustangs, who moved on to face the Amelia Pirates. Neither of those games were completed before press time.

Colton Pope drives in a run for the New Richmond Redlegs against the Milford Blue Devils on Monday, June 27, 2016 at Bachelier Park in Amelia.

In the silver division, the Amelia Mustangs knocked off the Milford Outlaws, advancing to the semifinals of the winners bracket. They were joined by the New Richmond Rampage, after the Rampage defeated the Hamersville Slammers, and the Tealtown Firestorm, thanks to a defeat of the Batavia Flames.

Games in Class A Jr. and Sr. leagues were not completed before press time.

Several local teams return to action June 30, including the Batavia Flames. They will face the Hammersville Slammers in Goshen in Class B Sr. action. For a more complete schedule of games, including brackets for all the divisions, visit the East Region Knothole website at www.leaguelineup.com/cckb.