By Dylan Hefflinger

DEFIANCE- Top-ranked Tinora got a taste of the Midwest Athletic Conference and split a doubleheader with Parkway on Saturday.

The Rams, a Division III state semifinalist last season but a Division IV team this year, lost the opener 12-2 before bouncing back to record a 14-2 win in the 2nd contest against Parkway, which trails Delphos St. John's and Versailles by 1 game in conference play. Last year the MAC had two teams reach the Division IV state tournament in eventual state champion Minster and semifinalist DSJ.

Jordan Stephenson held Tinora to just 2 runs on 7 hits with 2 strikeouts and 1 walk in the Parkway victory. The right-hander came in at 2-0 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.36 WHIP

The Panthers (8-6), which lost to Minster 4-0 earlier in the week, scored 4 runs in the first inning, and added 3 more runs in the 3rd.

Rollins finished with 2 doubles to pace Parkway's 10-hit attack. Brad Moorman, a .472 hitter, had a single and double and Bryce Bedwell, a .360 hitter, had 2 singles.

Sophomore Reid Renollet, son of head coach Brent Renollet, had 2 singles for Tinora.

The Rams, the front-runners in the Green Meadows Conference, bounced back nicely in game 2, scoring 1 run in the opening frame on a lead-off single by senior outfielder Austin Farrington, followed by a RBI triple to the fence by Derek Drewes. The sophomore, who is hitting .547, tried to score on the bad throw but was called out, causing an uproar by the Rams fans.

 Tinora then busted out for 9 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. After a lead-off walk by senior Tyler McKenney, senior Chris Wityk doubled, but McKenney became the second Ram to be thrown out at home in as many innings. However, it did not stop the Rams from a huge inning. Eleven of the next 12 batters reached base, 7 by walks and 3 by singles, including a huge 2 RBI single by sophomore Clay Pittman, which brought an end to the day for right-hander Jordan Strader.

 The Rams (16-3) followed the 9-run outburst in the 2nd with 4 more in the 3rd, which started off with a long drive off the wall in right-field by Drewes, his 11th double on the season. Pittman added his 2nd single of the game plating Drewes.

Sophomore righty Derek Drewes was the beneficiary of the hot Tinora hitting, throwing 4 innings to gain the victory, giving up 2 runs, both in the 4th, while fanning 2 and walking 4. Drewes, the Tinora shortstop when not on the mound, allowed 5 hits, topping out at 76 mph.

The left-handed hitting Drewes, the number 2 hitter in the Tinora lineup, had a double and triple. Wityk hit a single and double and Pittman 2 singles.

Parkway is at St. Henry on Tuesday while Tinora hosts Archbold the same day.