Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
PICKERINGTON — Prior to the start of tournament play, Logan Elm had lost five straight games and had virtually no momentum.
Yet, here we are five games later, and the Braves are heading back to Akron.
The Braves (21-8) jumped on Dover from Friday’s opening pitch before earning their first regional title since 2012 with a decisive 7-3 victory over the Tornadoes.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
“Our seniors had graduation practice this morning, and immediately after the game, they left to actually go to graduation. I think sometimes you worry about this type of distractions because graduation is a huge deal,” Logan Elm coach Jamey Binkley said. “But they deserve so much credit for how they’ve been able to focus on the games with their lives essentially about to change. They’ve shown so much composure and leadership throughout the season, dealing with a new coaching change, doing things differently than what they’re used to, but I couldn’t be more proud of them for how they’ve handled everything this year has thrown at them.”
Early and often was LE’s preferred pace of scoring.
With two runners on after a walk and a single from Sadie Binkley, Ryleigh Wolfe laid down a bunt to score the first run on a fielder’s choice. The Braves then scored on a passed ball, pushing their lead to 2-0 in the first inning.
They weren’t finished yet, though.
Dover helped by committing a fielding error that led to another run for a 3-0 game.
“I won’t lie, I was little worried after warmups because it felt like we were timid and it just didn’t feel like us,” Logan Elm’s Sadie Binkley said. “As soon as Lynsay [VanHoose] got on base, though, I knew we’d be fine. Everything started to fall our way and we never looked back.”
In the circle, Binkley ran into trouble in the second when the Tornadoes loaded the bases. But she fired a strikeout to end the threat.
After escaping the jam, Logan Elm added to its lead in the third when Jacie Clifton roped an RBI single into right field, extending the lead to 4-0.
“All of us getting around the bases definitely impacted us in a huge way,” Wolfe said. “The energy was high, we were all positive and we thought from the beginning that we had this, and we were right. I’m honored to be a part of this team.”
That was more than enough run support for Binkley and the Braves’ defense to do what they’ve done best all tournament long: dominate.
Making every play in the field, diving for line drives and sprinting for every pop-up, hustle was the name of the game as they backed up Binkley — who showcased why she’s one of the best in the state.
However, Clifton decided to give her extra cushion in the fourth.
With two runners on, she saw a 3-2, two-out pitch and sent a three-run blast over the fence to further the lead to 7-0.
“I was sitting next to [Logan Elm assistant coach] Mandy [Grambo] when Jacie fouled off a pitch, and she looked at me and said, ‘She squared that foul ball up, she’s on it,'” Sadie Binkley said. “Not even 10 seconds later, the next pitch thrown was a line drive shot over the fence. I was trying to push Taylor Fowler out of the dugout because it was so exciting.”
The Tornadoes managed to score off a bases-loaded walk in the sixth, and a two-run home run from Jenna Molk in the seventh. But Clifton’s bomb proved to be the final dagger as the Braves punched their state tournament tickets.
“Throughout the whole tournament, we’ve been fortunate to have a different player step up every single game,” Jamey Binkley said. “Lucy Caplinger gets the two-run single against an All-Ohio pitcher, Taylor Fowler homers in the seventh against Jonathan Alder and Jacie gets a big home run tonight. Going back to the Waverly game, our warm up just looked different that night. The girls have been locked in ever since and we’re playing our best softball at the perfect time.”
Sadie Binkley earned the win in a complete game effort, striking out seven batters on the night. Clifton finished 2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs, while Wolfe was 0-for-4 with an RBI.
Logan Elm advances to a Division II state semifinal at 12:30 p.m. on Friday at Akron’s Firestone Stadium against Bryan, who defeated Lexington to move on.
“Our community support has been unbelievable. My motto is, ‘In a world where you can be anything, be a Brave’,” Sadie Binkley said. “I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this team, a part of this community and I’m so happy with the way we just fight. But I’m even happier to be going to Akron.”
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