Lady Tigers rally for sectional title; score runs in 7th inning
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
GREENFIELD — For a game with three combined runs and six combined hits, not even Hollywood could have come up with a more thrilling ending, as the McClain Lady Tigers scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh for a 2-1 Division II SE District sectional championship win over the Washington Lady Blue Lions, Saturday in Greenfield.
The win gives the McClain Lady Tigers (21-3) a three-game season sweep against their South Central Ohio League counterpart, as the Lady Tigers earned 13 wins in games against SCOL opponents this year.
Getting Saturday's win was full of emotion, and just when it looked like the season could come to an end for the SCOL champion Lady Tigers … they were rushing out of the dugout, celebrating a sectional title.
The bottom of the seventh began with the Lady Tigers falling victim to a strikeout on four pitches, but then a four-pitch walk forced by Sasha Lawwell, and Alli Willett taking first on a hit-by-pitch, gave McClain hope … and they turned that hope into opportunity.
With Cierra Landrum at the plate, the slap bunt artist put the ball into play, but an error at first base scored Lawwell, and in the same sequence Willett rounded the bases as the throw home from the first base area went past the Blue Lion catcher, allowing Willett to slide feet-first into home plate for the game-winning run and the sectional title.
"That's why we stay focused until the end," McClain head coach Jarrod Haines said about the way the game ended. "We didn't hit well, but credit their pitcher (Sara Lentz) and the Washington defense … they handled it well until the very end.
"The best thing about this is we survived and advanced."
As for Landrum in the circle, her day of pitching was overshadowed because of the way the final inning played out offensively for MHS, but she pitched a quiet 1-hitter for the Lady Tigers, allowing the lone hit in the seventh with two outs off the bat of Katie Depugh with a single to centerfield. She allowed one run (unearned) on one hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters.
[[In-content Ad]]Landrum retired the first three batters of the game, then Washington led the sectional final from the second inning until the bottom of the seventh when they scored their lone run in the second when Lentz reached the bases on an error and scored on a ground out to the pitcher by Vernon for the second out of the inning.
"Again, Cierra was huge for us and kept us in the game," Haines said. "She's stepped up all season long."
Following the run-scoring second inning by WCH (7-12), Landrum retired the Lady Blue Lions in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and two batters reached the bases in the sixth for WCH via the fielder's choice.
In the meantime, through six innings, the Lady Tigers stranded six runners on the bases, including the third inning where Willett singled with one out to right field and Landrum reached on an error.
The fifth inning for the Lady Tigers had a runner thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, along with Willett (who hit a line drive base hit past third base) and Landrum being left stranded on the bases for a second time.
In the bottom of the sixth, one of the more closely analyzed plays came when there was a runner interference call at first base, as the runner (who was out at first) was said to interfere with the throw home, causing the runner at the plate to be automatically out for the second out of the inning, keeping the Lady Blue Lions in the lead at 1-0. Morgan Dettwiller was stranded at third after reaching the bases on a two-base error by Washington.
MHS had just four hits on the day with Willett going 2-for-2 from the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Brittany Mullikin and Jenna Perie were each 1-for-2.
No. 1 seeded McClain (21-3) now will travel to Northwest High School where they will play in the Division II SE District semifinal on Wednesday, May 16 as they will face No. 5 seed Gallia Academy, who are 18-7 overall this season. GA defeated No. 4 seed Athens 4-2 on Saturday.
BOX SCORE
WCH 010 000 0 — 1 1 5
MHS 000 000 2 — 2 5 1
The win gives the McClain Lady Tigers (21-3) a three-game season sweep against their South Central Ohio League counterpart, as the Lady Tigers earned 13 wins in games against SCOL opponents this year.
Getting Saturday's win was full of emotion, and just when it looked like the season could come to an end for the SCOL champion Lady Tigers … they were rushing out of the dugout, celebrating a sectional title.
The bottom of the seventh began with the Lady Tigers falling victim to a strikeout on four pitches, but then a four-pitch walk forced by Sasha Lawwell, and Alli Willett taking first on a hit-by-pitch, gave McClain hope … and they turned that hope into opportunity.
With Cierra Landrum at the plate, the slap bunt artist put the ball into play, but an error at first base scored Lawwell, and in the same sequence Willett rounded the bases as the throw home from the first base area went past the Blue Lion catcher, allowing Willett to slide feet-first into home plate for the game-winning run and the sectional title.
"That's why we stay focused until the end," McClain head coach Jarrod Haines said about the way the game ended. "We didn't hit well, but credit their pitcher (Sara Lentz) and the Washington defense … they handled it well until the very end.
"The best thing about this is we survived and advanced."
As for Landrum in the circle, her day of pitching was overshadowed because of the way the final inning played out offensively for MHS, but she pitched a quiet 1-hitter for the Lady Tigers, allowing the lone hit in the seventh with two outs off the bat of Katie Depugh with a single to centerfield. She allowed one run (unearned) on one hits and one walk, while striking out seven batters.
[[In-content Ad]]Landrum retired the first three batters of the game, then Washington led the sectional final from the second inning until the bottom of the seventh when they scored their lone run in the second when Lentz reached the bases on an error and scored on a ground out to the pitcher by Vernon for the second out of the inning.
"Again, Cierra was huge for us and kept us in the game," Haines said. "She's stepped up all season long."
Following the run-scoring second inning by WCH (7-12), Landrum retired the Lady Blue Lions in order in the third, fourth and fifth innings, and two batters reached the bases in the sixth for WCH via the fielder's choice.
In the meantime, through six innings, the Lady Tigers stranded six runners on the bases, including the third inning where Willett singled with one out to right field and Landrum reached on an error.
The fifth inning for the Lady Tigers had a runner thrown out at home on a fielder's choice, along with Willett (who hit a line drive base hit past third base) and Landrum being left stranded on the bases for a second time.
In the bottom of the sixth, one of the more closely analyzed plays came when there was a runner interference call at first base, as the runner (who was out at first) was said to interfere with the throw home, causing the runner at the plate to be automatically out for the second out of the inning, keeping the Lady Blue Lions in the lead at 1-0. Morgan Dettwiller was stranded at third after reaching the bases on a two-base error by Washington.
MHS had just four hits on the day with Willett going 2-for-2 from the No. 9 spot in the batting order. Brittany Mullikin and Jenna Perie were each 1-for-2.
No. 1 seeded McClain (21-3) now will travel to Northwest High School where they will play in the Division II SE District semifinal on Wednesday, May 16 as they will face No. 5 seed Gallia Academy, who are 18-7 overall this season. GA defeated No. 4 seed Athens 4-2 on Saturday.
BOX SCORE
WCH 010 000 0 — 1 1 5
MHS 000 000 2 — 2 5 1