Miscues doom Athens in District semifinals loss to Sheridan

Sometimes you’re just going to run into a juggernaut, and that’s ok at the end of the day.

Going up against one of the top ranked teams in the state for Division II, Athens’ softball saw its season come to an end in a home atmosphere on Tuesday afternoon. Matching up with Sheridan in the District semifinals at Ohio Softball Field on OU’s campus, the Bulldogs would put up a valiant fight but ultimately fall 4-1 to the Generals.

Athens would commit four errors as a team that would lead to the crucial runs early as Sheridan held a 4-0 lead after five innings of play. Otherwise, it was actually an impressive outing from Fern Sigman on the mound.

The junior was able to limit damage in all scenarios, eventually throwing all six innings while allowing seven hits, two earned runs, striking out four while allowing two walks.

At the plate, it was a different story with the team only picking up two hits in total, one of them being a leadoff infield hit from Ellie Beck-Aden. The sophomore would also finish with the team’s lone run. Kayla Hammonds had the only other hit and RBI, missing a home run by inches in the sixth inning.

For the Generals, Avery Mueller would be the only player to record a multi-hit game out of the leadoff spot. Payton Powell and Mauriana O’Brien would each grab a hit and an RBI while Avery Davis and Cora Hall had the only other hit. Hailey Clifton would also end up with an RBI.

Hall would also pitch all seven innings and shine, allowing just two hits and one run, striking out 14 while walking just three. At one point, Hall would set down 15 of 16 batters, including 12 straight.

Already knowing it was an uphill battle, Athens actually found themselves in a favorable position in the opening moments of the matchup. The Bulldogs would get the first two runners on in the top of the first before three straight strikeouts ended the chance.

From there, Hall would walk Sigman to open the second before sending down the next 12 batters for Athens, a streak that reached until the sixth frame.

In the bottom of the frame, a couple of two-out hits that culminated with Powell getting a bleeder up the middle of the infield gave Sheridan the opening lead. In the next inning, O’Brien would sky a ball that arguably looked foul once it reached the foul pole but the umpires would rule it fair. That would give the freshman a solo shot, opening up a two-run advantage for the Generals.

A two-out error from the Bulldogs would then give Sheridan another run in the bottom of the third before a fielder’s choice groundout that came about from another error from Athens in the fifth gave the Generals the 4-0 lead going into the sixth.

In the top of the inning, Beck-Aden would reach base on a walk before Hammonds drilled a double inches away from the top of the left-center wall to give Athens its first run while opening a glimpse of momentum.

The momentum would be short-lived however as Hall settled down to retire six of the next seven batters to secure the game and send Athens on the short drive home as the Bulldogs’ season came to an end.