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CARROLL — Monday was the much-anticipated rematch between Liberty Union and Bloom-Carroll.
Both teams entered the game ranked No. 1 in the state in their respective divisions in the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association state poll. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in Division III, and the Lions are the top team in Division V and the reigning Division III state champions.
Both teams entered with 17-1 overall records. The Bulldogs won 10-7 the first time the two teams met at Liberty Union, and to make things even more interesting, Monday was a major Mid-State League-Buckeye Division game.
Thanks to outstanding pitching from Suzie Shultz and a huge inning, the Liberty Union was able to put the game away early by scoring nine runs in the second inning, and the Bulldogs never recovered as the Lions would go on to post an 11-4 victory in front of a huge crowd.
More: Different mentality: Bloom-Carroll softball shows it belongs after beating Liberty Union
With the win, the Lions forged into a first-place tie in the league with the Bulldogs. Both teams have three MSL games remaining.
In the first game against the Bulldogs, Shultz had a rough outing and was lifted in the second inning. On Monday, her mindset was completely different. More than anything, she was calm, cool and collected.
“I didn’t have a great day the first time we played them,” Shultz said. “My mindset today was just to spin the ball where it needs to be and trust my defense because I have a great defense behind me.
"When we played them before, I was frustrated and mad at myself that I let it dictate how I was pitching. My goal today was not to let anything bother me. Even the home run that Claire (Whitcraft) hit off me. It was a great hit and she is a great player, but I knew that I needed to stay in the moment or things could go downhill like they did the last time.”
Bloom-Carroll entered the game scoring a lot of runs and they have a tough lineup, but Shultz kept them in check through the first four innings. In four innings of work, she gave up two runs on four hits and struck out seven. Freshman Eden Wilson pitched the final three innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out five.
“You can’t get too high even with a 9-0 lead because they are a great team and they can get right back into the game, just like that, so you have to stay locked in,” Shultz said. “They can string hits together, and then it’s not that story anymore. I am leaning more on my mechanics and spinning the ball more this year. Last year, I was still trying to overpower the ball and people can hit speed, so if you have to spin it, which is what I have focused more on.”
All nine batters in the Liberty Union lineup had one hit each, including Alex McCoy, who had a two-run double to start the nine-run, second-inning blitz. Headen Brunty, Shultz, Emmalee Putnam and Masie Buskirk also had doubles.
The Lions sent 13 batters to the plate in the second inning. They had six hits, scored two runs on an error, and benefited from two walks.
Liberty Union took an 11-0 lead when Putnam doubled and knocked in two runs in the top of the third inning. Bloom-Carroll cut the deficit to 9-2 on Whitcraft’s home run, and Addison Brown closed out the Bulldogs’ scoring with a two-run home run in the seventh inning.
Bloom-Carroll finished with eight hits, led by Rachel Grove, who had three, including a double. Madelyn Gates added a pair of singles.
“At the beginning of the season, we were thinking too much, and we felt the pressure of being the defending state champion,” Shultz said. “I felt like we were trying to be too perfect and do too much, but now we are staying in the moment and playing the game the way we know how to play. We know we have a target on our backs, but we aren’t focused on that. We're just trying to get better and better.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at [email protected] for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Liberty Union tops Bloom-Carroll in battle of No. 1-ranked state teams
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Both teams entered the game ranked No. 1 in the state in their respective divisions in the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association state poll. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 1 in Division III, and the Lions are the top team in Division V and the reigning Division III state champions.
Both teams entered with 17-1 overall records. The Bulldogs won 10-7 the first time the two teams met at Liberty Union, and to make things even more interesting, Monday was a major Mid-State League-Buckeye Division game.
Thanks to outstanding pitching from Suzie Shultz and a huge inning, the Liberty Union was able to put the game away early by scoring nine runs in the second inning, and the Bulldogs never recovered as the Lions would go on to post an 11-4 victory in front of a huge crowd.
More: Different mentality: Bloom-Carroll softball shows it belongs after beating Liberty Union
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With the win, the Lions forged into a first-place tie in the league with the Bulldogs. Both teams have three MSL games remaining.
Shultz had a different mindset
In the first game against the Bulldogs, Shultz had a rough outing and was lifted in the second inning. On Monday, her mindset was completely different. More than anything, she was calm, cool and collected.
“I didn’t have a great day the first time we played them,” Shultz said. “My mindset today was just to spin the ball where it needs to be and trust my defense because I have a great defense behind me.
"When we played them before, I was frustrated and mad at myself that I let it dictate how I was pitching. My goal today was not to let anything bother me. Even the home run that Claire (Whitcraft) hit off me. It was a great hit and she is a great player, but I knew that I needed to stay in the moment or things could go downhill like they did the last time.”
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Bloom-Carroll entered the game scoring a lot of runs and they have a tough lineup, but Shultz kept them in check through the first four innings. In four innings of work, she gave up two runs on four hits and struck out seven. Freshman Eden Wilson pitched the final three innings, giving up two runs on four hits and striking out five.
“You can’t get too high even with a 9-0 lead because they are a great team and they can get right back into the game, just like that, so you have to stay locked in,” Shultz said. “They can string hits together, and then it’s not that story anymore. I am leaning more on my mechanics and spinning the ball more this year. Last year, I was still trying to overpower the ball and people can hit speed, so if you have to spin it, which is what I have focused more on.”
All nine played a part for the Lions
All nine batters in the Liberty Union lineup had one hit each, including Alex McCoy, who had a two-run double to start the nine-run, second-inning blitz. Headen Brunty, Shultz, Emmalee Putnam and Masie Buskirk also had doubles.
The Lions sent 13 batters to the plate in the second inning. They had six hits, scored two runs on an error, and benefited from two walks.
Liberty Union took an 11-0 lead when Putnam doubled and knocked in two runs in the top of the third inning. Bloom-Carroll cut the deficit to 9-2 on Whitcraft’s home run, and Addison Brown closed out the Bulldogs’ scoring with a two-run home run in the seventh inning.
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Bloom-Carroll finished with eight hits, led by Rachel Grove, who had three, including a double. Madelyn Gates added a pair of singles.
“At the beginning of the season, we were thinking too much, and we felt the pressure of being the defending state champion,” Shultz said. “I felt like we were trying to be too perfect and do too much, but now we are staying in the moment and playing the game the way we know how to play. We know we have a target on our backs, but we aren’t focused on that. We're just trying to get better and better.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at [email protected] for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Liberty Union tops Bloom-Carroll in battle of No. 1-ranked state teams
Continue reading...
