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SUGAR GROVE — It had all the makings of another slugfest for Tri-Valley.
By the end of the second inning of its Division III regional semifinal against Plain City Jonathan Alder, the teams had scored seven runs and collected 11 hits. The sight was hardly uncommon for the Scotties in a season filled with high-scoring games.
While the Pioneers stayed hot on their way to 16 hits, Tri-Valley's bats failed to string rallies together after a fast start against pitcher Taryn Miller.
Alder eventually pulled away with eight unanswered runs in an 11-4 win on May 28 at Berne Union High School. It ended the Scotties' season at 16-12.
Kennedy Williams homered twice, singled and drove in five runs for Alder (17-11), which hit three homers off Scottie pitchers Megan Kozusko and Gracie Hutton and scored in all but two innings. An meeting with Bloom-Carroll (23-4), which snapped Dover's 36-game win streak in the other semifinal, awaits on May 29 for a state bid.
Tri-Valley, in the regional for the second time in program history, fell short of its first Elite Eight.
"We pushed a little bit, but we just couldn't get the hits when we needed them, consecutive hits and things like that," Tri-Valley coach Brian Sterling said. "We had 10 hits, but they were spread out."
More: Bloom-Carroll snaps Dover win streak, moves to regional softball final
Youth movement: Pups fuel Lady Dawgs past Unioto, win 1st district title in 16 years
More: State-bound Subh Patel composed with a 'will to win' for ZHS tennis
Tri-Valley's offense came in an impressive four-run second inning, when a one-out single from Gabby Prati ignited a string of five straight hits. Three were doubles from Ayla Hittle, Larsyn Holdsworth and Kozusko that produced all of the Scotties' runs.
They had a chance for more with a runner on third base and one out, but a double play ended the threat.
Tri-Valley had two on with two outs in the fourth and got a lead-off double from Ally Peterson in the fifth but failed to score. Two Pioneer runs in the bottom of the sixth, which pushed it to 11-4, all but put it out of reach.
Sterling second-guessed himself for not bunting more early in the game to create more offense, "but we kept believing in our girls. As hot as they had been, I just wanted them to get out there and do damage with the bat." The Scotties hadn't scored less than six runs since April 20, a stretch of eight games.
Alivia Reffitt, who led the team with a .436 batting average and 12 extra-base hits, said Miller's ability to spot the ball away from the middle of the plate made it difficult to square her up as the game progressed.
"They were really just all out, either outside or high," Reffitt said. "There really wasn't anything special. But I feel like we don't have a lot of experience with slower pitching, because we saw a lot of fast pitching this year. I think we were just ahead of it, either ahead of it or behind it."
Kozusko's ability to slow Unioto's bats in the middle-to-late innings was a key factor in the district finals, but she and Hutton found the sledding terrain more rigorous against the free-swinging Pioneer bats.
Kozusko allowed 11 hits and nine earned runs; Hutton yielded five hits in three frames in relief. Sterling said much of the struggles was a matter of pitch location.
Coupled with a wind blowing out to center field and fences in the 190-foot range, it was a difficult ask to hold the Pioneers down.
"It's something we've battled all year," Sterling said of the pitching inconsistency. "We don't have strikeout pitchers and (opponents) know that. No disrespect to them whatsoever — if we hit out spots we have a chance. If we don't, we've got to put up runs. Today, I thought we would end up with more than four. Sometimes, it just doesn't go your way."
Peterson and Kozusko had a double and single, Holdsworth doubled home two runs and Gerran Matthews had two singles and a walk out of the lead-off spot for Tri-Valley, which had seven players get hits.
Peterson, who hit. 354 with a .490 on-base percentage in 2026, said the team grew closer and became more competitive as the underclassmen were welcomed by the seniors into larger roles.
Peterson called her career ending "very emotional" because of how long she had played with her teammates. She left feeling satisfied with how her career unfolded, partly with how the team developed with the mix of veterans and newcomers in her final campaign.
"And us being close together made us play better," Peterson said. "Some of the (underclassmen) were stepping up. It's all about doing that job and you have to be unselfish (as upperclassmen) and let them go out and do that."
The team loses Peterson's lineup presence and Holdsworth's 14 RBIs, but the rest of the regulars, including Reffitt, will be due back.
Four were freshmen or sophomores in 2026, including catcher Camdyn Tyson, shortstop Matthews and second baseman Prati. Kozusko is also back as the team's No. 1 pitcher, while Hittle, who hit .304 as a freshman, will rejoin the pitching mix after fighting early season arm issues.
Improving the pitching will be a priority, Sterling said.
"I am completely stoked about this offseason," Sterling said. "These girls woke up a community. From the little girls all the way up through, they've seen how this community comes together and supports. Now that they have gotten a taste of that, I'm hoping that is going to be the next step to get us through a game like this."
[email protected]; X: @SamBlackburnTR
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Future bright for Tri-Valley softball despite regional struggles
Continue reading...
By the end of the second inning of its Division III regional semifinal against Plain City Jonathan Alder, the teams had scored seven runs and collected 11 hits. The sight was hardly uncommon for the Scotties in a season filled with high-scoring games.
While the Pioneers stayed hot on their way to 16 hits, Tri-Valley's bats failed to string rallies together after a fast start against pitcher Taryn Miller.
Alder eventually pulled away with eight unanswered runs in an 11-4 win on May 28 at Berne Union High School. It ended the Scotties' season at 16-12.
Kennedy Williams homered twice, singled and drove in five runs for Alder (17-11), which hit three homers off Scottie pitchers Megan Kozusko and Gracie Hutton and scored in all but two innings. An meeting with Bloom-Carroll (23-4), which snapped Dover's 36-game win streak in the other semifinal, awaits on May 29 for a state bid.
Tri-Valley, in the regional for the second time in program history, fell short of its first Elite Eight.
"We pushed a little bit, but we just couldn't get the hits when we needed them, consecutive hits and things like that," Tri-Valley coach Brian Sterling said. "We had 10 hits, but they were spread out."
More: Bloom-Carroll snaps Dover win streak, moves to regional softball final
Youth movement: Pups fuel Lady Dawgs past Unioto, win 1st district title in 16 years
More: State-bound Subh Patel composed with a 'will to win' for ZHS tennis
TV offense sputters after early outburst
Tri-Valley's offense came in an impressive four-run second inning, when a one-out single from Gabby Prati ignited a string of five straight hits. Three were doubles from Ayla Hittle, Larsyn Holdsworth and Kozusko that produced all of the Scotties' runs.
They had a chance for more with a runner on third base and one out, but a double play ended the threat.
Tri-Valley had two on with two outs in the fourth and got a lead-off double from Ally Peterson in the fifth but failed to score. Two Pioneer runs in the bottom of the sixth, which pushed it to 11-4, all but put it out of reach.
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Sterling second-guessed himself for not bunting more early in the game to create more offense, "but we kept believing in our girls. As hot as they had been, I just wanted them to get out there and do damage with the bat." The Scotties hadn't scored less than six runs since April 20, a stretch of eight games.
Alivia Reffitt, who led the team with a .436 batting average and 12 extra-base hits, said Miller's ability to spot the ball away from the middle of the plate made it difficult to square her up as the game progressed.
"They were really just all out, either outside or high," Reffitt said. "There really wasn't anything special. But I feel like we don't have a lot of experience with slower pitching, because we saw a lot of fast pitching this year. I think we were just ahead of it, either ahead of it or behind it."
Alder bats carry the play
Kozusko's ability to slow Unioto's bats in the middle-to-late innings was a key factor in the district finals, but she and Hutton found the sledding terrain more rigorous against the free-swinging Pioneer bats.
Kozusko allowed 11 hits and nine earned runs; Hutton yielded five hits in three frames in relief. Sterling said much of the struggles was a matter of pitch location.
Coupled with a wind blowing out to center field and fences in the 190-foot range, it was a difficult ask to hold the Pioneers down.
"It's something we've battled all year," Sterling said of the pitching inconsistency. "We don't have strikeout pitchers and (opponents) know that. No disrespect to them whatsoever — if we hit out spots we have a chance. If we don't, we've got to put up runs. Today, I thought we would end up with more than four. Sometimes, it just doesn't go your way."
You must be registered for see images attach
Peterson and Kozusko had a double and single, Holdsworth doubled home two runs and Gerran Matthews had two singles and a walk out of the lead-off spot for Tri-Valley, which had seven players get hits.
Peterson, who hit. 354 with a .490 on-base percentage in 2026, said the team grew closer and became more competitive as the underclassmen were welcomed by the seniors into larger roles.
Peterson called her career ending "very emotional" because of how long she had played with her teammates. She left feeling satisfied with how her career unfolded, partly with how the team developed with the mix of veterans and newcomers in her final campaign.
"And us being close together made us play better," Peterson said. "Some of the (underclassmen) were stepping up. It's all about doing that job and you have to be unselfish (as upperclassmen) and let them go out and do that."
All eyes on 2027
The team loses Peterson's lineup presence and Holdsworth's 14 RBIs, but the rest of the regulars, including Reffitt, will be due back.
Four were freshmen or sophomores in 2026, including catcher Camdyn Tyson, shortstop Matthews and second baseman Prati. Kozusko is also back as the team's No. 1 pitcher, while Hittle, who hit .304 as a freshman, will rejoin the pitching mix after fighting early season arm issues.
You must be registered for see images attach
Improving the pitching will be a priority, Sterling said.
"I am completely stoked about this offseason," Sterling said. "These girls woke up a community. From the little girls all the way up through, they've seen how this community comes together and supports. Now that they have gotten a taste of that, I'm hoping that is going to be the next step to get us through a game like this."
[email protected]; X: @SamBlackburnTR
This article originally appeared on Zanesville Times Recorder: Future bright for Tri-Valley softball despite regional struggles
Continue reading...
