MOUNT VERNON – Look at the left field fence and all the Mount Vernon softball team’s goals lie in the banners hanging there.
They checked off the first goal last week, capturing an Ohio Cardinal Conference championship.
On Wednesday, May 19, the Yellow Jackets reached the second goal, winning their second consecutive Division I district championship with a 14-2 six-inning win over old rival Delaware. And they did it on their own home field, an abnormality brought on by a COVID-19 world.
The next goal is to win a state championship, though they have to make it through the regional round first. Standing in their way is Pickerington Central. The two will meet on Wednesday, May 26, at Olentangy Orange.
“We reset our goals each (season),” Mount Vernon coach Ryan Pentz said. “What I love is that you look out and see all of our younger ballplayers in the stands watching. I tell them, ‘If varsity wins, the program wins.’
“They believe in this. They believe in the process that we’re the next man up, the next team up, the next group up. They believe every year they should be competing for those banners.”
Pentz thought his team was tight in the 4-3 win in eight innings over Gahanna in the district semifinal.
“I wanted us to just come out tonight and relax,” he said. “I tried to have a different approach with them with my energy level. (I told) them to play loose and be loose at the plate and attack your first pitch you get.”
The pregame adjustment worked. Brooke Radermacher and Rae Straight hit two home runs apiece as the Jackets clubbed five long balls in the win.
Radermacher finished with three RBIs on two solo shots, and Straight drove in five runs — including three on the deep fly that ended the game in the sixth.
“It just feels great to come out here and be able to contribute for my team,” Radermacher said. “Just to be able to score runs and to put it all out on the field.”
Carlena Fiorilli also homered — the second of a back-to-back with Straight with one out in the fifth.
Straight finished with three hits and three runs; and Fiorilli, Radermacher, Mollie Pentz and Makaylia Schlosser each had a pair of hits. Fiorilli, Mollie Pentz, Radermacher and Kennedie Endsley each scored twice.
“We were sitting on the fastball today,” Ryan Pentz said. “We were up there ready to go. We talked about it all day (on Wednesday) — our first pitch, we’re attacking.”
Emma Jones continued her stellar season in the circle with nine strikeouts. She allowed two unearned runs on four hits in a complete-game six innings.
“I love Emma, I love her,” Jones’ battery-mate Radermacher said. “She’s an amazing pitcher. She goes out there and she really does put this team on her back. She hits her spots so well, and she’s just very confident out there and so strong. I just love her so much.”
The Jackets used mostly backups in a 6-3 loss at Lexington to close out Ohio Cardinal Conference play on Thursday, May 20.
It was the first and only league loss for Mount Vernon since May 2, 2017; a 7-6 setback at Clear Fork. The Jackets had won 38 league games in a row.
Kylie Galownia had two hits and three RBIs, and Jillian Bammann allowed one earned run in a complete-game win for Lexington.
Mackenzie Rin and Rhyli Pope had two hits each for the Jackets.
