ELIDA, Ohio — Allen East is one win away from ACME state baseball.

Behind a dominant pitching performance from Ethan Hershberger and a late offensive explosion, the Mustangs shut out Liberty-Benton 10-0 in a District 5 semifinal on Wednesday night at Ed Sandy Field.

Hershberger opened the game with 14 straight batters retired, striking out three and allowing just one hit across five scoreless innings. The Mustangs gave him an early cushion, as Hershberger helped his own cause with an RBI single in the first to score Brady Brooks.

The turning point came in the sixth inning, when Allen East broke the game wide open with five runs. Hayden Carter delivered a bases-loaded single to extend the lead, and Caleb Lybarger followed with another hit to keep the line moving. The Mustangs would finish the inning with a commanding 10-0 advantage, ending the game early via run rule.

Defensively, Allen East made big plays to protect the lead. After Liberty-Benton broke up the no-hitter in the fifth, Brooks fired a strike from right field to cut down the potential tying run at the plate.

Allen East advances to face Bath on Thursday at 6 p.m. with a District 5 championship — and a trip to next week’s state tournament in Kalida — on the line.

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