Fort Frye’s Jayden Brown (11) throws out a runner from her knees during the Cadets’ 5-4 win over Newcomerstown in a Division VI district semifinal game, Tuesday in Beverly. (Photo by Beth Duskey)

BEVERLY – Faith Treadway’s single plated Ella Dowler with the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning Tuesday evening as the Fort Frye Cadets downed the Newcomerstown Trojans 5-4 in a Division VI, Eastern District semifinal at Fort Frye High School.

The marathon included a little bit of everything including an hour-long rain delay but in the end the Cadets found a way and punched their ticket to the district final Thursday in Cambridge against No. 2-seeded Sugarcreek Garaway.

Fort Frye used a combination of outstanding pitching from freshman Elle Casto, a defense that didn’t commit a single miscue and some timely hitting to notch their 15th win of the season against eight losses.

The Trojans struck first as they scored single runs in the first and third innings both coming on RBI singles by Alyssa Baker.

The Cadets went scoreless in their first two at bats off Newcomerstown starting pitcher Graclea Moore before coming off the mat to score three times in the bottom of the third.

Fort Frye’s Emmie Duskey receives the throw on a stolen base attempt by Newcomerstown during the Cadets’ 5-4 win in a Division VI district semifinal game, Tuesday in Beverly. (Photo by Beth Duskey)

Dowler led off the inning with the first of what would be a four-hit game and she later came around to score on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Treadway.

Later in the inning Jayden Brown came through in a big way when she singled with two out to score two more runs and give the Fort a 3-2 lead.

The Trojans got that run back and one to boot in the top of the fourth when Moore helped herself by drilling a two-run homer over the left field fence to put Newcomerstown back in front 4-3.

Fort Frye tied things up in the bottom of the fourth inning when Taylor Hendershot singled and later came into score on yet another Dowler single.

With heavy rains increasing by the inning the Cadets put together a huge threat in the bottom of the fifth.

Fort Frye’s Denay Layton (33) makes contact at the plate during the Cadets’ 5-4 win over Newcomerstown in a Division VI district semifinal game, Tuesday in Beverly. (Photo by Beth Duskey)

Treadway led off the inning with a triple and catcher Denay Layton followed by reaching on an infield single.

Brown was hit by a pitch to load the bases with nobody out before the umpires decided the rain was falling too hard and the field was getting too wet to continue.

After a delay of about an hour play resumed with Cadet senior Emmie Duskey at the plate with the bases loaded. The Trojans responded with a huge defensive play.

Duskey sent a routine fly ball to left fielder Rylee Johnson who fired a perfect strike to catcher Makenzi McConnell who tagged out a sliding Treadway at the dish for a double play.

Moore fanned the next Cadet hitter to escape the threat without allowing a single run.

Fort Frye pitcher Elle Casto (15) delivers a pitch in the Cadets’ 5-4 win over Newcomerstown in a Division VI district semifinal game, Tuesday in Beverly. (Photo by Beth Duskey)

“Their left fielder (Johnson) made a heck of a play and I think Faith got held up a little bit in the mud,” said Fort Frye head coach Brian Duskey. “Both teams made a lot of good plays.”

Fort Frye got a defensive gem of their own in the top of the sixth inning. With a runner on first, McConnell drilled a shot to third that Brown made a diving stop on and from her knees fired to first to double up the Trojan base runner.

“Jayden Brown is one of those kids that you just can’t replace.” said Duskey. “Our whole left side is so solid and that was just a great play.”

After allowing the four runs in the first four innings Casto was nothing short of spectacular in the circle the rest of the way for the Cadets as she allowed just three hits and no runs over her final six innings of work.

“You just can’t ask any more than that out of a freshman,” said Duskey of Casto. “She was outstanding.”

The Cadets stranded a runner in the seventh, a pair of runners in the eighth, left the bases loaded in the ninth before finally breaking through in the 10th.

With one out Dowler got things going when her bloop to right field appeared to get lost in the sun and fell out of the glove of the Trojan right fielder.

Carmen Henniger laid down a bunt and Dowler outraced the throw to second base to bring Treadway to the plate with the winning run on second.

Treadway lined the first pitch thrown to her by Moore right up the middle and Dowler sprinted home with the gamewinner much to the delight of the rain-soaked Fort Frye faithful.

“We were just looking for a break and that ball falling was the turning point,” said Duskey. “We had left so many runners on base and Faith finally came through with the big hit we needed.”

In addition to Dowler’s four hits, Layton added three singles while Treadway and Brown each collected two hits in the game for Fort Frye which tallied 13 hits as a team.

While the season comes to a close for Newcomerstown, the Cadets will have little time to rest before taking on Garaway Thursday night in Cambridge.

“Newcomerstown is a very good ball team and I can’t say enough about them,” said Duskey. “It took everything we had and I am proud of our team for finding a way to get this win.”