CLYDE, Ohio — For the third year in a row, Springfield and Perrysburg are meeting in a Division I softball district final.
The Blue Devils defeated Whitmer, 7-1, in the first game at Joe Wilson Field at Clyde High School on Tuesday, and the Yellow Jackets beat Northview, 11-1, in five innings in the nightcap.
Last year, Springfield beat Perrysburg, 7-4, in a district final, and in 2021, the Devils beat the Jackets, 8-1.
The rematch will be at the same site Friday at 5 p.m.
In Springfield’s win over the Panthers, the Blue Devils scored three runs in the bottom of the first to take the lead for good.
With two out and nobody on in the first, Springfield first baseman Ava Littin drew a walk, and Camryn Eckhart singled to left field, where an error allowed Littin to score and Eckhart to move to second base. Andrea Espino became a courtesy runner for Eckhart and scored when Kenya Crowley doubled on a 3-2 pitch to right to score Espino. Olivia Rompf doubled to left to score Crowley, and the Blue Devils never looked back.
Springfield pitcher Callee Chappetta allowed the one run on five hits in seven innings of work. From the second inning to the sixth, she recorded 11 consecutive outs. Only twice did a runner advance beyond first base.
For the previous two seasons, Chappetta, who improved to 18-6 with the win, had to learn the art of pitching while sitting behind Mady Yackee, who is now pitching at the University of Toledo.
“For the last two years, she had to wait,” said Springfield coach Rob Gwozdz. “Callee learned from Mady and had a really nice game today.”
Whitmer coach Cassi Waggoner, who saw her team defeat the Blue Devils by mercy rule earlier this season, praised Chappetta, as well.
“I think her pitches were working. She was deceiving us,” said Waggoner. “We didn’t come out hitting like we did the first time we played them. Our mindset was better the first time we played them.”
In the third inning, Springfield scored two more runs to put the game away.
Eckhart, the catcher, opened the bottom half by hitting a home run to right, and four batters later, Addy Rapp hit a sacrifice fly to score Rompf, giving the Blue Devils a 5-0 lead.
Springfield is 20-7 and the Panthers, who still have a game to play against Anthony Wayne, are 16-7.
“Our offense and defense had a heck of a game,” said Gwozdz. “They’re a close-knit group. They enjoy being with each other, and that’s something you can’t coach.
Eckhart’s home run was the 50th of the season for the Blue Devils, who came into the game ranked seventh all-time in Ohio for the single-season record for home runs in a season.
Whitmer pitcher Caralinn Meyer fought through six rough innings, and while her defense let her down a few times, she persevered and got through the game.
“She had a rough start mentally,” said Waggoner, “but she powered through the rest of the game.”
The only Whitmer run came in the sixth when Reagan LaPoint hit an RBI single to score Jadyn Morgan.
In the second game, the Yellow Jackets wasted little time in taking control of the contest, scoring seven runs in the first two innings.
Yesenia You, the No. 2 hitter for Perrysburg, hit a one-out triple in the bottom of the first, Maison Gerrard, the pitcher, lined a double to right, scoring You, and Gerrard was lifted for a courtesy runner in Gracie Perry. Jessica Miller reached on an error, moving Perry to third, and Miller advanced to second.
Northview pitcher Kennedy Omey struck out the next batter, but Morgan Hoverman’s ground ball to third base was bobbled and the throw was dropped at first base, allowing both runners to score and giving the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 lead and control for good.
Perrysburg is now 23-3, while the Wildcats finish the season at 12-14.
Jacket left fielder Ella Leonard opened the second with a base hit, stole second, and after a strikeout, moved to third base on a wild pitch. Second baseman Aly Seuberling hit a double to right to score Leonard, Hayley Griggs followed that up with an RBI triple, and You reached on an error by the second baseman, allowing another run to score. Miller drove in You, who had advanced to second on Gerrard’s groundout and then stole third, and Ky Thomas’ base hit forced a pitching change as Omey was lifted for Cailyn Hoel.
Omey pitched well at times but her defense let her down. As for Hoel, she allowed four runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. She gave up a run in the fourth as Perrysburg went up 8-0, but Wildcat shortstop Brooklyn Reinbolt hit an RBI single to score Emily Bueschen in the fifth, getting Northview on the board.
“Hoel pitched well. She was hitting her spots and mixed her pitches in well,” said Northview coach Nick Chapetta. “I would’ve thrown her more today, but she pitched yesterday.”
The Yellow Jackets scored three runs in the fifth to invoke the mercy rule as Alyssa Bradford hit a sacrifice fly to score Leonard, and three consecutive singles, one of which was an infield hit, loaded the bases for Gerrard, whose single to center scored Seuberling and Griggs, ending the game.
Gerrard’s performance was overshadowed by her team’s offensive output. She allowed just one run on six hits.
“She’s a four-year starter,” Perrysburg coach Ryan DeMars said of Gerrard. “She’s had all sorts of experience. She’s going to compete and battle. We made some nice plays on defense.
The 11 runs in five innings came after Perrysburg has been working hard on its offense.
“We’re happy with our one through nine hitters driving in runs and getting on base,” said DeMars. “We want to make it hard on the opposing team.”
Perrysburg now has two days to prepare for Springfield.
“We know they’ll come to battle,” said DeMars.
Most Popular
Comments / 0