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ATHENS — One of the greatest traditions in the history of the Southeast District in any sport, if not the greatest tradition in any sport, is at it again.
Stop if you've heard this before — the Wheelersburg Pirates' softball program has won a OHSAA District Championship.
It's become a tale as old as time — except it's not a tale, it's reality.
Teresa Ruby's group left nothing to chance from the get-go of a OHSAA Division V District Final against the Wellston Golden Rockets' softball program, scoring in each of its first three innings up to bat, hitting .500 as a team for the game and getting a complete game two-hitter from Emmee Eaton on just 56 pitches in an 11-0 victory for Wheelersburg over Wellston in five innings on Saturday afternoon in a OHSAA Division V District Championship Game that was held at Ohio University in Athens.
For Eaton, the definition of Wheelersburg's success has been how quickly the Lady Pirates transition to the next player up, whether it be in terms of lineup changes due to graduation or game situations themselves in terms of different individuals stepping up on a game-by-game basis.
"We had watched a little bit of film and had seen Wellston's pitching before," Eaton said. "I didn't have a great day at the plate, but I made sure that I didn't carry that onto my pitching performance. My teammates picked me up and did a great job (on Saturday)."
Wellston's Raylen Landrum singled and Abrielle Weese doubled to put runners on second and third base in the opening inning for the Lady Rockets, but following a inning-ending 6-3 groundout to Wheelersburg's Mylee Jo Gleim at shortstop, Wellston mustered nothing else the rest of the way.
Wheelersburg, on the other hand, was just getting started en route to its sixth consecutive district championship, and its 11th in the last 12 seasons under the legendary work of Ruby.
Following a bunt single by Ava Estep and a double to left field by Layna Howard, Gleim's RBI groundout and an error immediately put the Lady Pirates ahead by a 2-0 margin.
Estep then tacked on a web gem of a defensive play to begin the second inning.
Wellston's Kennedi Stevens laced a hard-hit ball directly to center field, which appeared to be hit hard enough that it would sail over the head of Estep. But in one quick motion, Estep turned around, leaped high in the air and made the terrific catch on the line drive in a play that the four-year starter made look routine.
"My approach on that defensive play was drop, step and go," Estep said. "I honestly didn't know if I would catch that ball or not. I just jumped and put my glove up, and all of the sudden, when I looked back down, it was in my hand. I said, 'Oh heck yeah!'"
Wheelersburg then batted around in plating three additional runs in the second, as after a fly out, an error and a walk by Mati Jennings was followed by an RBI double off of the top of the left center field wall by Estep, while Howard followed with a two-RBI single to center field, which scored both Estep and courtesy runner Makenna Vaught.
Already up 5-0 after two innings gone, Wheelersburg finalized the margin with a six-run third frame.
Following an error, a single by Libby Allen was followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Jennings, and after an intentional walk to Estep that loaded the bases, Howard made Wellston pay with an RBI single to drive in Allen.
Gleim then laced a two-RBI double down the left field line, Jalynn Drake added in an RBI triple to the left field corner herself, and with two gone in the third inning, Eaton helped her own course with an RBI single to right field to score Drake from third base, completing the six-run third.
"Our focus is just the standard," Eaton said. "Every game's a business trip. Our coaches expect that out of us and our team. Even our freshmen — they know what to expect from game-to-game, and they know that we have to have a high level of focus. We've just got to keep taking each game as it comes, just one at a time."
From that point forward, it was all Eaton. Facing the minimum over her final four innings of work, the junior hurler threw just nine pitches in the second inning and 18 between the fourth and fifth frames in yet another efficient outing to seal the mercy rule for Wheelersburg.
"Really everything," Eaton said of what was working for her inside the circle. "(Wheelersburg pitching coach) Jackie (Hawk-Conley) knew what she wanted me to throw, and I just had to go out there and be confident in myself. I knew that she trusted me, and I knew that I had to be there for my team and let them defend."
Saturday's victory was not only the sixth season in a row that Wheelersburg claimed a district title, but the third straight campaign where the Lady Pirates won by a mercy-rule margin.
In each of the last three district finals, Wheelersburg's outscored their opponent by a total margin of 41-2. The Lady Pirates, combined, defeated Northwest and Wellston by a combined 32-0 run total in this year's district tournament affairs.
Howard (3-for-4, double, three RBI, two runs scored) led the Lady Pirates, while Estep (2-for-2, double, two walks, RBI, three runs scored) and Gleim (2-for-3, double, three RBI, run scored) joined Howard in the multi-hit column.
Drake (1-for-3, triple, two RBI, run scored), Jennings (1-for-1, walk, RBI), Eaton (1-for-3, RBI), Allen (1-for-3, two runs scored) and Makenzie Mullens (1-for-2, walk) rounded out the Wheelersburg players who reached via a hit in the contest.
With the win, Wheelersburg (19-5) advances to a OHSAA Division V, Region 19 Semifinal, where the Lady Pirates will play Uhrichsville Claymont (17-12) on Wednesday, May 27 at 2 p.m. The contest will also be held at Ohio University in Athens.
It's all part of another deep postseason tournament run that not only the Wheelersburg community, but everyone across the district, region, state and beyond, have come to expect.
"We are so prepared for this," Estep said. "Even though we have a mixture of girls with experience and youth, we have a lot of girls that have either been at this stage before or are mentally prepared for what's to come."
Continue reading...
Stop if you've heard this before — the Wheelersburg Pirates' softball program has won a OHSAA District Championship.
It's become a tale as old as time — except it's not a tale, it's reality.
Teresa Ruby's group left nothing to chance from the get-go of a OHSAA Division V District Final against the Wellston Golden Rockets' softball program, scoring in each of its first three innings up to bat, hitting .500 as a team for the game and getting a complete game two-hitter from Emmee Eaton on just 56 pitches in an 11-0 victory for Wheelersburg over Wellston in five innings on Saturday afternoon in a OHSAA Division V District Championship Game that was held at Ohio University in Athens.
For Eaton, the definition of Wheelersburg's success has been how quickly the Lady Pirates transition to the next player up, whether it be in terms of lineup changes due to graduation or game situations themselves in terms of different individuals stepping up on a game-by-game basis.
"We had watched a little bit of film and had seen Wellston's pitching before," Eaton said. "I didn't have a great day at the plate, but I made sure that I didn't carry that onto my pitching performance. My teammates picked me up and did a great job (on Saturday)."
Wellston's Raylen Landrum singled and Abrielle Weese doubled to put runners on second and third base in the opening inning for the Lady Rockets, but following a inning-ending 6-3 groundout to Wheelersburg's Mylee Jo Gleim at shortstop, Wellston mustered nothing else the rest of the way.
Wheelersburg, on the other hand, was just getting started en route to its sixth consecutive district championship, and its 11th in the last 12 seasons under the legendary work of Ruby.
Following a bunt single by Ava Estep and a double to left field by Layna Howard, Gleim's RBI groundout and an error immediately put the Lady Pirates ahead by a 2-0 margin.
Estep then tacked on a web gem of a defensive play to begin the second inning.
Wellston's Kennedi Stevens laced a hard-hit ball directly to center field, which appeared to be hit hard enough that it would sail over the head of Estep. But in one quick motion, Estep turned around, leaped high in the air and made the terrific catch on the line drive in a play that the four-year starter made look routine.
"My approach on that defensive play was drop, step and go," Estep said. "I honestly didn't know if I would catch that ball or not. I just jumped and put my glove up, and all of the sudden, when I looked back down, it was in my hand. I said, 'Oh heck yeah!'"
Wheelersburg then batted around in plating three additional runs in the second, as after a fly out, an error and a walk by Mati Jennings was followed by an RBI double off of the top of the left center field wall by Estep, while Howard followed with a two-RBI single to center field, which scored both Estep and courtesy runner Makenna Vaught.
Already up 5-0 after two innings gone, Wheelersburg finalized the margin with a six-run third frame.
Following an error, a single by Libby Allen was followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from Jennings, and after an intentional walk to Estep that loaded the bases, Howard made Wellston pay with an RBI single to drive in Allen.
Gleim then laced a two-RBI double down the left field line, Jalynn Drake added in an RBI triple to the left field corner herself, and with two gone in the third inning, Eaton helped her own course with an RBI single to right field to score Drake from third base, completing the six-run third.
"Our focus is just the standard," Eaton said. "Every game's a business trip. Our coaches expect that out of us and our team. Even our freshmen — they know what to expect from game-to-game, and they know that we have to have a high level of focus. We've just got to keep taking each game as it comes, just one at a time."
From that point forward, it was all Eaton. Facing the minimum over her final four innings of work, the junior hurler threw just nine pitches in the second inning and 18 between the fourth and fifth frames in yet another efficient outing to seal the mercy rule for Wheelersburg.
"Really everything," Eaton said of what was working for her inside the circle. "(Wheelersburg pitching coach) Jackie (Hawk-Conley) knew what she wanted me to throw, and I just had to go out there and be confident in myself. I knew that she trusted me, and I knew that I had to be there for my team and let them defend."
Saturday's victory was not only the sixth season in a row that Wheelersburg claimed a district title, but the third straight campaign where the Lady Pirates won by a mercy-rule margin.
In each of the last three district finals, Wheelersburg's outscored their opponent by a total margin of 41-2. The Lady Pirates, combined, defeated Northwest and Wellston by a combined 32-0 run total in this year's district tournament affairs.
Howard (3-for-4, double, three RBI, two runs scored) led the Lady Pirates, while Estep (2-for-2, double, two walks, RBI, three runs scored) and Gleim (2-for-3, double, three RBI, run scored) joined Howard in the multi-hit column.
Drake (1-for-3, triple, two RBI, run scored), Jennings (1-for-1, walk, RBI), Eaton (1-for-3, RBI), Allen (1-for-3, two runs scored) and Makenzie Mullens (1-for-2, walk) rounded out the Wheelersburg players who reached via a hit in the contest.
With the win, Wheelersburg (19-5) advances to a OHSAA Division V, Region 19 Semifinal, where the Lady Pirates will play Uhrichsville Claymont (17-12) on Wednesday, May 27 at 2 p.m. The contest will also be held at Ohio University in Athens.
It's all part of another deep postseason tournament run that not only the Wheelersburg community, but everyone across the district, region, state and beyond, have come to expect.
"We are so prepared for this," Estep said. "Even though we have a mixture of girls with experience and youth, we have a lot of girls that have either been at this stage before or are mentally prepared for what's to come."
Continue reading...
