WILLARD — It was a familiar and unfamiliar feeling all wrapped into one moment.
As Lexington's Kaylie Eichorn stepped forward with her fellow senior teammates to receive the Division II district championship trophy after a 7-1 victory over Clear Fork, the memories came flooding back. They were from her sophomore year when she helped Lex win its first softball district title in 11 years with a sac fly in the 12th inning.
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She remembered watching the 2022 seniors step forward to hoist the district championship trophy, but Thursday night was similar and different at the same time. This time, she got to be the first to touch the trophy as the team's leader. It was the second district title in three years for the Lady Lex.
"I think it is sweeter because we know how it feels to win one, but after going through a down year last year, to come together and get it done as this team is special," Eichorn said. "We worked so much harder and it feels nice to reach our goal."
Makaree Chapman led Lex with two hits while Jillian Morr, Quinn Patrick, Kylie Galownia, Eichorn, Kylie Thornton and Rylie McGuire all had one hit apiece in a balanced effort. Patrick, Galownia, Chapman, Eichorn and Thornton all had one RBI apiece as Lex scored runs in all but the fourth and sixth inning to secure the victory.
"Those runs were scored because of the time they spend in the field house hitting in the cage before every game and even after games," Lexington coach Todd Galownia said. "Sundays, they are in there hitting. They know we have the defense and the pitching to win, we just have to score runs. They are nonstop hitting. It is what they do."
It was Clear Fork that drew first blood with a run in the top of the first on Renee Anders' two-out RBI single. From then on, the Colts mustered just three more hits and didn't score.
"The ball she hit was a screwball and we don't throw that very often, but I wanted to throw something different at their No. 4 hitter," Galownia said. "She got a nice hit on it and scored a run, so we went away from that and got everything else going."
Chapman was untouchable the rest of the way. She finished allowing one run on five hits with nine strikeouts and a walk. She threw 110 pitches with 73 going for strikes.
"I was a little nervous, to be honest," Chapman said. "But I fell into the groove of the game, trusted my teammates behind me and trusted my coaches to call pitches, and I just did what I was asked to do."
"There is 100% confidence in her," Eichorn said. "She is going to work her butt off and we are going to have her back. Good hitters will hit the ball and we know she won't strike everyone out so it is our job to finish the plays she sets up. She did an amazing job."
Chapman did what she was asked to do at the plate, too, as Lex responded right away with a run in the bottom of the first on her two-out RBI single. It was the response Eichorn was looking for.
"We know we are a good hitting team," Eichorn said. "We put the work in the cages and on the field, so we knew we were going to play our game, hit the ball and be just fine."
Lady Lex opened things up in the second inning with three runs. After a walk, a sac bunt, a single and a groundout, Lex looked like it was bound for a rally-killing inning but a dropped line drive allowed a run and kept the inning going. Patrick and Kylie Galownia followed with back-to-back RBI singles to make the error hurt. Clear Fork gave up just three earned runs on the evening but committed two costly errors that led to runs.
"The errors kind of took the wind out of the sails, but we also didn't hit very well," Clear Fork coach Chris Clapper said. "We can't blame the errors on this one. They hit the ball well and we didn't. We knew what to expect, had a game plan and they beat it, so the credit goes to them."
Anders had a pair of hits while Mya Perry, Jada Brokaw and Hailly Thrush had one hit apiece. Anders had the lone RBI. The Colts (17-8) saw Anders, Andrea Swainhart and Macy Ousley play their final game as seniors.
"They were sophomores when I got here and only Renee had any varsity experience," Clapper said. "But those three are very special and will always hold a special place in my heart. They showed up Day 1, welcomed me, bought in and worked hard every day. This team will not be the same without them. I hope they know I love them and will always be here for them as long as they will let me."
And yet, the Colts bring back a load of talent headlined by junior Mel Blubaugh and five freshmen who started a majority of the game during a Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference championship season.
"It is definitely bittersweet because we do lose those three seniors but the future looks bright for this team with our youth and some more coming up," Clapper said.
Lexington (26-2) heads to the regional semifinals and will play Akron Springfield at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Shelby. It will be Lex's second trip to regionals in three years after making a run to a regional championship game in 2022. The 2024 title was something that was brewing even back then.
"We still had the same leadership," Galownia said. "Kylie, Jillian, Kaylie and Emily Asher are phenomenal leaders who never miss a single open gym. They are at everything and they set the tone to make sure everyone else shows up and works hard. Jillian said it best, when we work, we work hard and our goal is to out work everyone. That leadership is why we are here."
It was a long road for Eichorn and her senior group to become the leaders they are today. As juniors, Lexington went 10-15 and lost early in the tournament. It was a major wake up call for Eichorn.
"It was hard because the seniors two years ago were amazing leaders," Eichorn said. "We tried to follow in their footsteps last year, but we just really didn't know how to yet. But stepping into the senior role, we accepted that responsibility and it paid off."
Chapman, who is in her first year at Lexington, saw the leadership first hand and grew as a player because of it.
"I couldn't ask for better senior leaders," Chapman said. "I am so proud of each and every one of them. They knew what it took to win one of these and they made sure to pick up the younger girls to make sure they understood. We are a sisterhood and I couldn't ask for a better group to be with."
And now, they have a chance to make it back to a regional championship game.
"It feels amazing," Chapman said. "It is something I can't put into words. I am excited to see where we can go if we keep pushing each other."
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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Back on top: Lexington nets second district title in three years with win over Clear Fork
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