TIFFIN — It is a rare feat in baseball to give up a run but still walk away with a no-hitter, but Columbian’s Kyle Hepp managed that exact tightrope walk on Thursday afternoon. Hepp was nothing short of brilliant on the mound, baffling opposing hitters all game long to guide the Tornadoes to a commanding 7-1 victory.

While Hepp kept the opposing bats completely silent, the Columbian offense blew the game wide open with a massive six-run avalanche in the bottom of the sixth inning to secure the win.

Columbian wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the first inning, Johnny Bremyer drove a deep sacrifice fly to bring home the game's first run, giving the Tornadoes an early 1-0 cushion.

The opposition managed to scratch across a run without registering a single hit in the top of the fourth, tying the game at 1-1 following a deep flyout and putting a brief hitch in Columbian's momentum.

The tie held until the bottom of the sixth, when the Tornadoes' offense finally cracked the game wide open. Columbian turned small ball and timely hitting into a masterclass, sending six runs across the plate.

Kyle Hepp helped his own cause with an RBI single to break the tie. Braden Egbert followed closely with a clutch two-run single. After a fielding error allowed another run to score, Kason Daily capped off the rally by smacking a two-run single of his own. By the time the third out was finally recorded, the Tornadoes had built a commanding 7-1 lead.

Columbian’s attack was a balanced, team-wide effort, paired with absolute chaos on the basepaths. Eight different Tornadoes—Conner Reese, Bremyer, Blake Gaulden, Ethan Wilcox, Egbert, Daily, Jamison Woessner, and Hepp—each collected a hit. Egbert led the team with 2 RBIs out of the leadoff spot, finishing the afternoon 1-for-2.

Perhaps the most devastating weapon in Columbian's arsenal on Thursday was their speed. The Tornadoes terrorized the opposition on the basepaths, racking up a staggering 12 stolen bases as a team. Reese, Jayce Arias, Bremyer, and Hepp all recorded multiple stolen bases on the day.

Baseball will finish its season on Monday at Calvert for the Honor Games.