Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
RIO GRANDE — Notre Dame’s softball program held up a district championship trophy on Thursday.
There were smiles. There were hugs. There were pictures.
But after a dominant 5-1 win over Manchester — the program’s fifth consecutive district title — what wasn’t present was satisfaction.
Put simply, winning a district title isn’t a luxury at ND. It’s an expectation. So Thursday’s trip to Rio Grande? It was a business trip.
“Our mindset tonight focused on [Manchester’s] Rylie [Young]. We knew she threw some inside fast balls and we wanted to be early on them,” Notre Dame coach Shad Ford said. “Fortunately for Manchester, we hit a ton of ‘at-me’ balls. We hit some screamers but they had to move one step or two to get to them. You’ll have games like that. That’s why you have to score early.”
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Defensively, the Titans (23-4) had to record just two outs. That’s because pitcher Gwen Sparks was herself, striking out 19 hitters in a complete game effort.
Sparks allowed an earned run on three hits and didn’t walk a single hitter.
“If we can get three or four runs and throw strikes like we do with some velocity and some movement, defensively, it’s just about getting the outs we can,” Ford said. “We have a shutdown pitcher that has a lot of strikeouts. So it’s just living to see the next play and making that play when it comes. That’s the key.”
Manchester’s Jenna Campbell started the night’s festivities with a double on the very first pitch. She then took third on the next. However, Sparks struck out three straight hitters to end the scoring threat.
In the bottom half of the first inning, Maddie Entler and Alayla Soard each drew walks before Sparks logged a one-out RBI groundout. Soard then scored on a wild pitch, making it a 2-0 tally.
The score remained that way until ND senior Kyndall Ford had a say.
PHOTOS: Images from Notre Dame’s district final win over Manchester
In the bottom of the third, Soard began the Titans’ at-bat with a single. Ford then took an 0-2 offering and deposited it well over the left-center field fence, pushing the edge to 4-0.
“The game wasn’t over at that time,” Shad Ford said. “Anything can happen. Two isn’t a great cushion. But when you hit a two-run bomb and Gwen is pitching, and the defense is playing like it is, it makes you feel a little better. That was definitely a big hit, especially after a strikeout in the first inning. She bounced back like she’s supposed to.”
Manchester (14-5) finally broke the scoring seal in the top of the fifth and Campbell was, again, at the center of a storm.
The Greyhounds’ leadoff spot tripled before eventually scoring on an RBI single from Rylie Young, cutting the deficit to 4-1.
However, Notre Dame returned the favor in the bottom half when Lyndsey Schaefer doubled and later scored on a wild pitch, rounding out the night’s final.
Ford paced the Titans’ offense, going 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. Schaefer was 1-for-2 with a double and a run and Soard finished 1-for-2 with two runs scored.
For Manchester, Campbell finished 2-for-3 with a double, a triple and a run while Young was 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Young also tossed all six innings, surrendering five earned runs on four hits.
Notre Dame advances to a Division IV regional semifinal at 5 p.m., Wednesday at Pickerington North High School.
The Titans will play the winner of Mechanicsburg and Danville. That game is scheduled for 11 a.m., on Saturday.
But it doesn’t matter who fills the opposing dugout. Notre Dame’s plan remains the same — use the experience the Titans have gained at the regional level to their own advantage and, above all else, win at all costs.
“You learn a lot when you’ve been there like we have,” Shad Ford said. “We know the facilities, we know when to get there, we know how the field plays. I do think it’s a big advantage for us. It’s our fourth year in a row there and we’ve played on every field they have. It’s a comfort zone for us. So that’s a bonus.”
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