HAMLER, Ohio (WLIO) — St. Henry is one win away from a trip to the state semifinals after surviving a late push from Patrick Henry in the Division VI regional semifinals.

The Redskins entered the matchup at 24-3, while the host Patriots came in at 16-7-1.

Ohio State commit Mack Hieber set the tone on the mound for St. Henry, striking out a pair of batters in the second inning on his way to nine strikeouts.

The Redskins broke through in that same frame when Hudson Schmitz sent a ball to the left side, allowing Jake Schwieterman to score on a head-first slide for a 1-0 lead.

Patrick Henry answered in the bottom half of the inning, taking advantage of a wild pitch to even the score at 1-1.

The game remained tight throughout, and by the fifth inning the teams were deadlocked at four runs apiece. That's when Schwieterman delivered the biggest hit of the night, driving a ball deep into left-center field for a two-run double. Drew Langenkamp and Landon Schwartz both scored on the play, giving St. Henry a 6-4 advantage.

The Patriots refused to go away. In the sixth inning, Lane Biederstedt put the ball in play, and an errant throw to first allowed Hieber to come home, trimming the deficit to 6-5.

With the tying run threatening in the seventh, St. Henry turned to Max Delzeith to close it out. Delzeith delivered the final strikeout of the game to secure the victory.

St. Henry held on for the 6-5 win and advances to the regional final, where the Redskins will face Seneca East Tigers in Hamler with a trip to the state tournament on the line.

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