Lyla Pittenger
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Carson Francis

Carson is an aspiring journalist and a student at Ohio University's E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. He's a lifelong fan of all things Reds, Bengals and Buckeyes, and has seen the game through the eyes of a player, fan and reporter.

Wellston blanks Nelsonville-York, remains tied atop TVC-Ohio standings

The Golden Rockets improve to 14-2.

Carson Francis, Staff Writer

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

WELLSTON — It’s not how you fall. It’s how you get back up.

Wellston played with a get-back-up mentality on Wednesday evening.

On Monday, the Golden Rockets fell just short in a TVC-Ohio matchup at Athens by a 3-2 final. And finding themselves in a tie atop the league’s standings, they had to turn around and face a red-hot Nelsonville-York club that had won its last eight games.

But despite that, Wellston weathered the storm and cruised back into the win column on its home field.

Wellston coach Jim Hall talks with Karly Rinehart (left) and Kennedi Stevens (right) during a game earlier this season. The Rockets handed Nelsonville-York a 10-0 loss on Wednesday.
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA

Aided by a one-hit, 12-strikeout showing from senior Hannah Potts in the circle, the Rockets (14-2, 8-2 TVC) fired on all cylinders from start to finish, easing their way to a 10-0 victory and keeping themselves in the thick of TVC-Ohio title contention.

“I just know I can pitch my game when I have my defense behind me. I’m with a great group of girls, and I just wanted to get a big win on my senior night,” Potts said. “It was a tough loss against Athens, but I don’t think it’s truly a loss if we learned from it, and we definitely learned from it today.”

To preview what was to come throughout the rest of the night, Potts entered the circle guns blazing in the first inning. She struck out the first three hitters she faced, giving her team early energy to carry into the home half.

That energy was indeed contagious and Wellston took advantage of it almost immediately.

On the second pitch she saw, leadoff hitter Maddie Childers sent a ball soaring over the centerfield fence, putting her team ahead 1-0.

In the very next at-bat, Reece Karr doubled before coming around to score when Lyla Pittenger reached on error. Then, with the bases loaded and one out, Kennedi Stevens logged a sacrifice fly into left field, adding another run.

Avery Fain then reached on another Buckeye error to finish off a four-run first inning.

“Hannah striking out the first three batters definitely gives me more confidence going into the box,” Childers said. “My first at-bat, I’m always looking for contact, always looking for a base hit, and I think my timing was perfect.”

Even with a comfortable lead, Wellston wasn’t backing off any time soon.

Still on fire from the first inning, Potts went back to the circle in the second, looking for more of the same. As efficient as she could be, the Western Michigan commit once again struck out all three batters in the inning, this time working her way to an immaculate inning to sit NY down in order.

Just like the first inning, Childers led off to start the second and kept things rolling with a lead-off double. The courtesy runner for Childers, freshman Ella Hutchinson, then advanced to third off of a Reece Karr single, before stealing home on the next at-bat, expanding the lead to 5-0.

Nelsonville-York’s only sign of life came in the third inning, a one-out, bunt single by Veda Stadler — the Buckeyes’ lone baserunner of the night.

That didn’t bother Potts at all, however. The senior would go on to retire the next five batters, three by way of strikeout, in the third and fourth innings, to keep the Buckeyes (12-6, 5-4 TVC) silent. 

“I think any pitcher can say the same thing. It really builds my confidence,” Potts said of her ability to get consistent outs. “I know I have a great defense behind me, so if they were to hit it, it’s not going to go much further because my defense is solid.”

Wellston was far from satisfied and wanted to send everyone home early.

To help do just that, Potts aided her own cause in the bottom of the fourth. With one out, she drove Hutchinson home with a single, increasing the lead to 6-0. Pittenger followed that with an RBI double on the very next pitch, adding another run to the total before Raylen Landrum drove in another with a sacrifice fly. 

Finally, Karly Rinehart put the exclamation point on the Rockets’ offensive brigade by blasting a two-run shot over the left field wall and putting her team up by 10 going into the fifth.

With three outs to work with, the Buckeyes needed anything they could get to keep the game alive. But Potts showed them no mercy.

She struck out three Buckeyes in a row, bringing her total to 12 and finishing off a 10-0 victory, keeping the Rockets tied for first in the league.

“We definitely came into this game hungry for a win because of how the last game went. I take every game the same way, being aggressive and wanting to win every single game,” Childers said. “Having Hannah up there pitching really does give a lot of confidence to the team.”

Wellston’s stat book was highlighted by Childers and Rinehart, who each went 3-for-3 with a homer — Childers also logged two doubles.

Reece Karr ended the night going 2-for-3 with a pair of runs scored, Pittenger was 1-for-3 with a double and a pair of runs, and Potts and Raylen Landrum also went 1-for-3 while driving home a run each.

Both teams will face league opponents in their next contests. Wellston will travel to Alexander on Friday evening, while NY looks to bounce back at Vinton County.

“I think practice makes perfect, and everyone knows that saying,” Childers said. “And I think our whole team practices hard, and that will show in our games.”

SPONSORED BY VINTON COUNTY NATIONAL BANK

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