Carson Francis, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
THE PLAINS — Meigs played a dangerous game on Tuesday evening.
In a TVC-Ohio battle at Athens, the Marauders exploded for seven runs in the second inning to jump out to an 8-2 lead on the Bulldogs.
From there, Meigs seemed to put things into cruise control, and Athens made them pay the price by climbing all the way back to take a 10-9 lead in the bottom of the sixth.
But what could’ve been a demoralizing end for Meigs became just the wake-up call the team needed.
The Marauders (7-2, 2-0 TVC) stayed composed and answered right back in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings. Then, they took the lead in the ninth and held on to seal an 11-10 win over Athens — the program’s first since 2018.
“We haven’t beat Athens for years, so this was a really big win for us,” Meigs’ Natalie Goode said. “It was good to see us fight back, and we really needed to get over this hump.”
The Marauders took advantage of multiple Bulldog miscues in the first, taking an early lead. With two runners on via walk, Goode hit a hard ground ball into right field for an RBI single to put Meigs out in front at 1-0.
Athens, however, would one-up Meigs in its own half of the first. With Fern Sigman and Rylee Toadvine on base, Addison Williams allowed both of them to score by reaching on error, sending the Bulldogs into the second frame with a 2-1 lead.
Meigs was unfazed, though.
Jordin Davenport led off the second with a single before the Marauders loaded the bases with no outs after back-to-back walks.
Athens (5-2, 1-1 TVC) gave the Marauders an inch, and they took a country mile.
Aubrey Newell reached on an error to tie the game before three straight singles, alongside a double from Goode, drove in five consecutive runs. Davenport and Chloe Burnem later reached on error to bring home two additional scores, capping off a seven-run inning and catapulting the Marauders to an 8-2 lead.
“We start off strong and we end strong. But it helps a lot when we’re up in the dugout,” Goode said. “And we just can’t get in our heads, that’s the big thing.”
And after Goode delivered a 1-2-3, shutdown inning from the circle, Meigs looked to be well in control.
But in the game of softball, no lead is ever safe.
With plenty of game left, the Bulldogs chipped away as the game progressed.
In the home half of the third, Sigman and Toadvine each came up with RBI doubles to cut the deficit to 8-4. After Toadvine advanced to third, Kenzie Bolin brought her home with a sacrifice bunt, followed by Aubrey Heybron driving in a run.
What once was a six-run deficit stood at 8-6 headed to the fourth.
Things would calm down from there, although momentarily.
Each team recorded just one hit in the fourth and fifth innings combined, keeping things at 8-6 going into the top of the sixth.
In the midst of a stalemate, Meigs was in need of some insurance, and it found just that. With the bases juiced and nobody out, Jordin Davenport’s RBI fielder’s choice extended the lead to 9-6, heading into the bottom half.
But it still wasn’t enough to make Athens quit.
With their backs against the wall, the Bulldogs sparked a much-needed dose of two-out magic. With a runner on, Sigman popped one into center, where it dropped for a base hit and allowed a runner to score. Toadvine then followed with an RBI single of her own, cutting the deficit to 9-8 and bringing the go-ahead run to the dish.
Addison Williams represented that go-ahead run, and with her team riding hot, the freshman rose to the occasion. On a full count, Williams lifted a pitch high into left-centerfield and watched it sail over the wall.
After giving her team a 10-9 lead, she was mobbed by her teammates at home plate as the comeback was just about complete.
Or so the Bulldogs thought.
After watching a six-run lead evaporate, Meigs now trailed by a run and was down to its last out in the top of the seventh. But the Marauders stayed composed and regained their rhythm.
Ava Horn singled with two outs before Goode reached on error to move Horn into scoring position. Freshman Gracie Banks then stepped up and lined one into left field for a base hit. Horn raced around third and sprinted to the plate with ease, tying the game at 10-10.
After Athens couldn’t answer and end the game in the bottom half of the seventh, extra innings would be needed to decide a winner.
In extended action, it all came down to who wanted it more.
It wouldn’t be until the ninth that one team would get the upper hand once more. And once again, it was the Marauders who did so.
Horn doubled with one out before Goode singled to send her home, making it an 11-10 lead for Meigs, needing just three outs to finish the job.
Goode had been in the circle all day long, and despite extra fatigue, knew that it was her responsibility to close the game out.
It couldn’t have ended any better for Goode and the Marauders. The junior sat down the side in order in the bottom of the ninth, capping off an 11-10 victory to move the Marauders to 2-0 in TVC-Ohio play.
“Honestly, I think we had a few rough spots,” Meigs’ Gracie Banks said. “But we definitely fought through them, and I think this win will definitely help us in the TVC. I definitely think we’ll feed off of this win a lot.”
Offensively, Goode led the way for Meigs, going 4-for-6 from the dish with three RBIs. Banks finished 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, and Horn ended the day 2-for-6 with an RBI and four runs scored.
The Bulldogs were led by Williams, who finished 3-for-5 with three RBIs, two of which came off of a home run. Sigman finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs, and Toadvine finished 2-for-5 with another two RBIs.
Both starting pitchers went the distance. Goode struck out 13 batters while Sigman sat down six.
Athens goes right back to work at Wellston on Wednesday before hosting Alexander on Friday. Meanwhile, Meigs will be back in action on Friday when it travels to Vinton County, followed by a trip to Portsmouth for a non-league bout on Saturday.
SPONSORED BY VINTON COUNTY NATIONAL BANK
