In a rematch two years in the making, the Mount Vernon softball team came up short at Westerville Central 10-8 in non-league play on Monday, March 29, in Westerville.
Lydia Wilkerson hit a three-run home run to give the Warhawks the lead in the fifth inning and Lexi Recinella added a two-run shot later in the inning that ended up being the difference.
Mollie Pentz hit a three-run home run of her own in the sixth inning, and the Yellow Jackets got the tying run to the plate in the seventh but fell short in the 2019 Division I regional final rematch.
Mount Vernon 14, Pickerington Central 4 (5)
Six batters had multiple hits as host Mount Vernon pounded out 19 total hits in a 14-4 win in five innings over Pickerington Central on Saturday, March 27, giving coach Ryan Pentz his first career victory.
Brooke Radermacher had three hits, four RBIs and two runs; and Maddy Burdette added a pair of hits, three RBIs and two runs to lead the Yellow Jackets. Both Radermacher and Burdette went deep, and Emma Jones went the distance to get the win in the circle.
Fredericktown, Utica split
Fredericktown’s Alyssa Perkins pitched and hit her way to a win in Game 1. But a Mackenzie Woodruff walk-off double helped Utica earn a split in the doubleheader on Saturday, March 27, in Fredericktown.
Perkins tossed six innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on eight hits and a walk with 10 strikeouts. But it was her RBI triple in the fifth inning that proved to be the game-winning hit to help the Freddies beat Utica 6-4 in Game 1.
Lexi Wiegand, Ayrika Wolfe, Kiera Williams and Leah Swetnam each had three hits to lead Utica (1-1), which trailed by five runs in the fifth inning of the second game before rallying to win, 9-8. The win gave coach Staci Meyers her first career victory.
Blue Devils open the season with three wins
Grace Gronberg’s two-run single highlighted a six-run first inning, and Danville never looked back in a 19-2 five-inning win at Lucas on Monday, March 29.
The win came on the heels of a doubleheader sweep at West Holmes on Saturday, March 27, in Millersport.
Taryn Mickley’s sacrifice fly in the fourth inning of the second game proved to be the game-winner as Danville went on to a 6-4 win to complete the sweep over the host Knights.
The wins gave Charlie Duncan his first as head coach of the Blue Devils and were two years in the making after last season was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cordilla Richert had three hits, Keaura Schilling scored three runs and Mickley drove in three runs to lead the Blue Devils (3-0) in the second game against West Holmes.
Schilling, Mickley and Maddy Wine had three hits apiece to pace Danville, which scored eight runs in the third inning to roll to a 13-1 win in five innings in Game 1. Schilling, Mickley, Jaylyn Smith and Grace Gronberg each drove in two runs and scored twice.
Wine earned a win at West Holmes and a win at Lucas. She also picked up a save in the second game against the Knights.
Lakewood 15, East Knox 4 (5)
East Knox rallied for a pair of runs to tie the game in the third inning, but host Lakewood used an eight-run bottom half to cruise to a 15-4 non-league victory in five innings on Monday, March 29, in Hebron.
Dylan Cunningham had three hits, three RBIs and two runs; and Ashley Poling hit a three-run home run and finished with four RBIs to lead the Lancers (2-0).
Cami Bailey had three hits and Bailey Comer had two hits and two runs for the Bulldogs (0-1).
Highland 13, Licking Valley 2
Audrey Robinson’s two-run single in the fourth inning opened the flood gates as Highland scored all 13 of its runs over the final four innings of play to down host Licking Valley 13-2 in a non-league game on Saturday, March 27, in Newark.
Robinson’s hit gave the Fighting Scots a 3-2 lead. She was one of six batters to record multiple hits in the win.
Guinevere Jackson led the way with three hits, two runs and an RBI; and Savannah Fitzpatrick had two hits and a walk, scored three runs and drove in two to lead Highland (1-0).
Brady Wood tallied two hits and two RBIs to pace the Panthers (0-1).
