Extra innings: Lady Tigers unable to advance in sectionals
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
GREENFIELD — On a muggy Wednesday afternoon that turned to evening, the Sheridan Lady Generals and McClain Lady Tigers took part in a softball slugfest where neither team would go down for the count.
That was until the 10th inning, where the Lady Generals did what they needed to do to end the never-ending game, defeating the South Central Ohio League champion Lady Tigers, 6-5 to advance to the next round of Division II SE District Sectional play this Saturday against Logan Elm, who defeated the Washington Lady Blue Lions, 3-2 in nine innings.
In the game that resembled a heavyweight championship fight, McClain (15-5) entered the game at No. 3 and Sheridan (13-9) was the No. 6 seed, but it was Sheridan who landed the final blow, breaking the 5-5 tie with a two-out single to left field by junior Maria Holbrook, which scored senior Ashley Pallone, who forced a two-out walk in the previous at-bat.
"We did the same thing we did all year … we battled, but we weren't able to come back," MHS head coach Jarrod Haines said.
Getting to that point took much more than that swing of the bat. In fact, both teams got clutch hits, but each team sent pitchers who were relentless to the circle.
The win went to Sheridan sophomore Courtney Plaisted, who pitched all 10 innings. She allowed five runs on 14 hits and two walks. The sophomore finished with nine strikeouts.
"She did very well," Sheridan coach Craig Sheridan said. "This was a gritty performance by our entire team. We had some seniors step up and be leaders. This is a great win, and they came through when they had to, and that's what we needed."
Sheridan was first to score, adding two runs to the Hannah Losey Memorial Scoreboard when Megan Skinner and Emily Snider scored. Snider scored on a double by Skinner. Skinner, a senior, scored on a fielder's choice hit by Maddy Snider.
McClain cut the lead in half with Morgan Dettwiller (2-for-5) hitting a 3-1 pitch to centerfield with one out. With Alyssa Bean in as the courtesy runner, she took second on a passed ball, scoring when Kate Crabtree doubled over the head of the right fielder.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cierra Landrum took home on a wild infield throw, tying the game at two. Landrum finished 3-for-6.
As soon as the game went back to even, it went back in the favor of the Lady Generals, who added three runs to their total for a 5-2 advantage in the top of the sixth. Two of the runs came on a towering home run over the left-field fence by Skinner.
Trailing by three, MHS cut the deficit down to one with Frankie Wise bashing the ball to right field, scoring Sasha Lawwell and Brittany Mullikin in the sixth.
The game was tied again, this time at five, in the bottom of the seventh when Megan Dettwiller, who singled to centerfield, scored on a base hit to right field by Crabtree for the RBI. Dettwiller went 3-for-5 at the plate in her final high school game.
MHS had base runners in the eighth and ninth innings but left three runners stranded on the bases. In the 10th inning, McClain's Emily Sterling singled to centerfield to lead off the inning but was left stranded, as the Lady Tigers stranded four combined in extra innings.
The loss in the circle was charged to Landrum. Starting the game for MHS was Megan Dettwiller. Dettwiller pitched 5 1-3 innings. In her time pitching, Dettwiller allowed four runs on four hits and five walks with four strikeouts. Landrum allowed three runs on five hits and two walks. In relief, Landrum had one strikeout.
"We did a good job pitching. We had a few mistakes, but Sheridan are a good hitting team, and we knew that coming in," Haines said. "Cierra did a really good job coming in. She missed one spot, but that happens."
The Lady Tigers had five players finish with at least two hits.
Haines also talked about the defense of the Lady Tigers.
"We played a good game defensively," he said. "Kate (Crabtree) played an amazing game in the field."
Playing their final game for MHS were Megan Dettwiller and Frankie Wise.
"Hats off to Frankie and Megan," Haines said. "We are going to miss them and what they brought to the program, and what they did for us. Like I told the girls, we have to keep building on what they did for the program.
"I have to credit Frankie and Megan … they really stepped up today."
MHS ends the season as SCOL champions, with 15 wins.
"In a game like this, it stinks someone has to lose, but hats off to my girls and my seniors," Haines said. "Our goal from day one was to win the SCOL, and we snapped-off a nine-game winning streak in the SCOL. We are proud of that, but I'm upset for the girls because their second goal was to take another step in the tournament. I don't want this game to define our season because we had a lot of success. We won a lot of close games, and we were just on the wrong end on this one."[[In-content Ad]]
That was until the 10th inning, where the Lady Generals did what they needed to do to end the never-ending game, defeating the South Central Ohio League champion Lady Tigers, 6-5 to advance to the next round of Division II SE District Sectional play this Saturday against Logan Elm, who defeated the Washington Lady Blue Lions, 3-2 in nine innings.
In the game that resembled a heavyweight championship fight, McClain (15-5) entered the game at No. 3 and Sheridan (13-9) was the No. 6 seed, but it was Sheridan who landed the final blow, breaking the 5-5 tie with a two-out single to left field by junior Maria Holbrook, which scored senior Ashley Pallone, who forced a two-out walk in the previous at-bat.
"We did the same thing we did all year … we battled, but we weren't able to come back," MHS head coach Jarrod Haines said.
Getting to that point took much more than that swing of the bat. In fact, both teams got clutch hits, but each team sent pitchers who were relentless to the circle.
The win went to Sheridan sophomore Courtney Plaisted, who pitched all 10 innings. She allowed five runs on 14 hits and two walks. The sophomore finished with nine strikeouts.
"She did very well," Sheridan coach Craig Sheridan said. "This was a gritty performance by our entire team. We had some seniors step up and be leaders. This is a great win, and they came through when they had to, and that's what we needed."
Sheridan was first to score, adding two runs to the Hannah Losey Memorial Scoreboard when Megan Skinner and Emily Snider scored. Snider scored on a double by Skinner. Skinner, a senior, scored on a fielder's choice hit by Maddy Snider.
McClain cut the lead in half with Morgan Dettwiller (2-for-5) hitting a 3-1 pitch to centerfield with one out. With Alyssa Bean in as the courtesy runner, she took second on a passed ball, scoring when Kate Crabtree doubled over the head of the right fielder.
In the bottom of the fifth, Cierra Landrum took home on a wild infield throw, tying the game at two. Landrum finished 3-for-6.
As soon as the game went back to even, it went back in the favor of the Lady Generals, who added three runs to their total for a 5-2 advantage in the top of the sixth. Two of the runs came on a towering home run over the left-field fence by Skinner.
Trailing by three, MHS cut the deficit down to one with Frankie Wise bashing the ball to right field, scoring Sasha Lawwell and Brittany Mullikin in the sixth.
The game was tied again, this time at five, in the bottom of the seventh when Megan Dettwiller, who singled to centerfield, scored on a base hit to right field by Crabtree for the RBI. Dettwiller went 3-for-5 at the plate in her final high school game.
MHS had base runners in the eighth and ninth innings but left three runners stranded on the bases. In the 10th inning, McClain's Emily Sterling singled to centerfield to lead off the inning but was left stranded, as the Lady Tigers stranded four combined in extra innings.
The loss in the circle was charged to Landrum. Starting the game for MHS was Megan Dettwiller. Dettwiller pitched 5 1-3 innings. In her time pitching, Dettwiller allowed four runs on four hits and five walks with four strikeouts. Landrum allowed three runs on five hits and two walks. In relief, Landrum had one strikeout.
"We did a good job pitching. We had a few mistakes, but Sheridan are a good hitting team, and we knew that coming in," Haines said. "Cierra did a really good job coming in. She missed one spot, but that happens."
The Lady Tigers had five players finish with at least two hits.
Haines also talked about the defense of the Lady Tigers.
"We played a good game defensively," he said. "Kate (Crabtree) played an amazing game in the field."
Playing their final game for MHS were Megan Dettwiller and Frankie Wise.
"Hats off to Frankie and Megan," Haines said. "We are going to miss them and what they brought to the program, and what they did for us. Like I told the girls, we have to keep building on what they did for the program.
"I have to credit Frankie and Megan … they really stepped up today."
MHS ends the season as SCOL champions, with 15 wins.
"In a game like this, it stinks someone has to lose, but hats off to my girls and my seniors," Haines said. "Our goal from day one was to win the SCOL, and we snapped-off a nine-game winning streak in the SCOL. We are proud of that, but I'm upset for the girls because their second goal was to take another step in the tournament. I don't want this game to define our season because we had a lot of success. We won a lot of close games, and we were just on the wrong end on this one."[[In-content Ad]]