OLD WASHINGTON — Call it district title perfection.
Defending D4 state softball champion Strasburg captured a third straight district title, highlighted by All-Ohio pitcher Amelia Spidell, who tossed a perfect game in the Tigers’ 10-0 rout of Caldwell in five innings at the Buckeye Trail Athletic Complex on Thursday.
The win launches the Tigers (26-3) into next week’s D4 regional where they will play Lucasville Valley at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Pickerington Central High School. Lucasville Valley won its district crown Thursday with a 4-2 triumph over Symmes Valley.
“We talk about it from the very beginning that our goal is to make it to state,” Strasburg coach Tom Spidell said after the Tigers’ most recent tourney rout. “You never want to look ahead, but you also have to have that big picture, so we talk about that at the beginning. But when tournament time comes, it’s this is the game that matters because we can’t reach our ultimate goal if we slip up here. So at that point we try and take it one game at a time and really focus on each opponent.”
That philosophy is working. In its first four tournament wins, the Tigers have outscored their opponents 46-0.
“I wish Tom and his team the best of luck, and I don’t see anybody else beating them,” Caldwell coach Doug Pfeffer said. “I think they’ve got another one (state title) coming.”
Thursday’s one-sided romp by the Tigers belonged to Amelia Spidell, who was masterful in the circle, striking out 12 of the 15 Redskin batters she faced. Spidell got up early in counts, as Caldwell batters had trouble catching up to her fastball.
“I felt good warming up both ways, hitting and pitching, and it kind of transitioned into the game,” said Amelia Spidell, who tossed her second perfect game this season and third of her career. “I’ve had three perfect games and around four or five no-hitters.”
Tom Spidell said, “The girls are so confident in her and their defensive ability that we feel if we put a run or two up, we feel like we’re in control.”
While Amelia Spidell struck out the first seven batters she faced, the Tigers’ offense did its part, banging out 11 hits in the game.
Amelia Spidell launched a home run over the right field fence to lead off the contest and the Tigers never looked back. They took a 3-0 lead after one frame, expanded it to 8-0 in a five-run offensive explosion in the second inning and put two additional tallies on the board in the bottom of the third as the lead ballooned to 10-0.
“She kind of did it all today with the home run to get us going right off the bat,” Tom Spidell said of his daughter’s dominant performance in the circle and at the plate.
The Ohio Dominican-bound standout finished with a single, home run and three RBIs.
The Tigers had many players with multiple hits. Other top offensive efforts included Miley Reifenschneider (home run, three RBIs), Olivia Spidell (single, double, two RBIs) and Rayelle Watkiins (double, single). Meanwhile, Rylee Becker, Ella Gilkerson, Ada Richards and Addy Sibila all added singles.
“It was up and down the lineup and our No. 9 hitter was 2 for 3 today and reached base three times,” Tom Spidell said.
The Tigers did all their offensive damage in the first three innings. Along with Amelia Spidell’s home run in the first inning, Ella Gilkerson had a single to left as a run scored on an overthrow and Ada Richards had an RBI single as the Tigers went up 3-0.
The Tigers exploded for five runs in the second inning on an RBI single by Amelia Spidell, an RBI double by Olivia Spidell and a towering three-run home run to center field fence by Reifenschneider.
Reifenschneider, who leads Strasburg with seven home runs this spring, said playing in many big tournament games in the past helps the Tigers focus.
“It really helps the nerves because we’re used to it,” she said, adding another district title is “just an amazing feeling. Really, we’re hoping to make it all the way. That’s all it is.”
The Tigers added two runs in the bottom of the third to take a 10-0 lead. Rayelle Watkins doubled to center, moved up to third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Amelia Spidell. Then Becker drew a walk, moved to second when Olivia Spidell was hit by a pitch and scored the Tigers’ 10th run when Gilkerson reached base on a Caldwell error.
The Redskins had an uncharacteristic five errors in the game.
“We just wanted to compete and unfortunately we didn’t do that tonight,” Pfeffer said. “We haven’t committed that many errors all year.”
Caldwell, which registered an impressive 9-2 rout of powerful Conotton Valley in the district semifinal earlier this week, closed out its season with a 21-4 record.
“This group of seniors, they’ve got 77 wins and four sectional titles,” Pfeffer said. “We’ve never had 21 wins (before).”
Strasburg also eliminated Caldwell in district play last season by an 11-1 final.
STRASBURG 10, CALDWELL 0
Caldwell 000 00 — 0 0 5Strasburg 352 0X — 10 11 0
MayKayla Muman and Hannah Reiter. Amelia Spidell and Olivia Spidell. WP — Amelia Spidell. LP — MayKayla Muman. 2B — Olivia Spidell (S), Rayelle Watkins (S). 3B— none. HR — Amelia Spidell (S), Miley Reifenschneider (S)
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