John Bruce, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — As West’s Lainey Cook stepped to the plate in a one-run game in the top of the seventh inning of Friday’s Division VI district championship game, she only needed one hit to complete one of the rarest feats in sports: a cycle.
She finished her incredible night with a bang, crushing a 1-0 offering over the right-center field fence for a two-run home run — completing her cycle and surging her Senators (15-13) to their first lead of the game.
Cook’s home run, and performance in general, powered a come-from-behind 9-8 win over top-seeded Fairfield, handing Portsmouth West its third district championship in the past four seasons.
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
“All season, they were the underdog and our record doesn’t reflect the fight and tenacity that we have,” West coach Dani Coleman said. “One of the best features about this team is that they’re very gritty. They’re humble, they work all the time and they just don’t quit. We knew we were the underdog today. These girls truly love one another. They are all about each other.”
Cook’s heroics capped off a furious comeback in a game which West trailed throughout, and had only temporarily drawn even in.
Just a freshman, Cook hasn’t just provided an offensive spark. She’s been imperative on the defensive side of things as well, filling in behind the plate when asked to do so.
“We had our senior catcher, Ava Potters, removed with a health issue,” Coleman said. “Lainey has stepped into that spot for us. At first, she was at shortstop and then we moved her into the catching position. She, just like all of our freshmen, is good, is humble and is strong.”
Fairfield (18-7) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after an inning with Ally Maynard scoring on a passed ball before a Carly Sanders sacrifice fly brought home Jobey Hattan. Sophomore Alyssa Bales then capped off the frame with an RBI single to bring home Kelsey Crowder.
Maleah Whitman cleared the left field fence on the first pitch of the second inning to show that West wasn’t going to back down. But Fairfield’s Rilee Quickle worked out of a jam to maintain the Lions’ two-run advantage.
Fairfield extended the lead in the third when Bales once again drove in Crowder, this time with a two-out double to make it a 4-1 tally.
PHOTOS: Images from West’s district championship win over Fairfield
After singling in her first at-bat, Cook led off the fourth with a double for the Senators, before eventually scoring on a passed ball with one out. Ally Hedge later drove an outside pitch into left field for an RBI double, scoring Erica Whisman and cutting the deficit to 4-3.
Fairfield saw two quick outs in the fourth before three consecutive hits from Quickle, Maynard and Hattan pushed the lead back to two at 5-3, when Quickle scampered home on Hattan’s base hit.
West then drew even in its half of the fifth, following back-to-back hits from Brooklyn Pitts and Kyleigh McCleese opened the frame. A bases clearing triple from Cook made it 5-5 before. Quickle induced two soft popups to quell the threat, giving the Lions a chance to respond.
Respond they did, and in a major way.
Senior Carly Sanders opened the bottom half with a triple before an infield single from Bales put runners on the corners for sophomore Jorgia Smith. Smith took an 0-1 pitch to deep right, clanking the blast off the top of the fence, and over, for a three-run homer.
With the lead back to three at 8-5, and nobody on in the top of the sixth, the Lions opted to pitch to senior Maci Bradford — who had been intentionally walked in her previous two plate appearances.
Bradford, who missed much of Thursday’s 16-2 win over Nelsonville-York with an injury, showed why the Lions were working around her, crushing the first pitch she saw into deep right-center field. As the ball looked destined to clear the fence, it actually was slightly short, but an outfielder deflected the ball up and over for a solo home run.
“[Bradford] is one of our four seniors and she’s a true leader,” Coleman said. “She always has been, even when she was a freshman. She told me yesterday in the dugout, ‘I’m playing tomorrow.’ They did everything last night that they needed to do. She went this morning, got it set and her grandpa would be really proud right now. He was one of our former coaches and he’d be so proud of her.”
Even after the home run from Bradford, the Senators still found themselves trailing 8-6 as they headed towards the seventh inning. But, in typical Westside fashion, the Senators never wavered or backed down.
McCleese opened the at-bat with an infield hit before advancing to second on a wild pitch, and eventually scoring when Whitman drove a line drive into right, making it a one-run game again.
That set the table for Cook’s heroics as the freshman easily cleared the fence with a titanic blast to finally grab the lead.
In the bottom of the seventh, PW’s Layla Kamer quickly got the first two outs before Quickle reached on an error to put some great speed on the base paths for the Lions.
However, Kamer was able to draw a fairly well hit fly ball to McCleese, who secured the catch in left field and set off a celebration for the Senators.
Statistically, Kamer earned the win in relief for West, working five innings and giving up three earned runs while striking out a pair.
Cook went 4-for-4 with three RBIs and the aforementioned cycle. Bradford was 2-for-2 with two intentional walks and a home run, while Whitman went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
Bales led Fairfield by going 4-for-4 with two RBIs, Smith knocked in three with her home run, and Hattan, Maynard and Quickle all added multiple hits for the Lions as well.
West will next take on the Coal Grove Hornets at 5 p.m., Wednesday at Jackson High School, looking to get back into a regional title game for the first time since 2022.
“I couldn’t ask for a better group of girls to play with,” Bradford said. “They are young but they’ve filled really big roles. We had some great players last year and they came in like nothing changed. They’ve really filled their spots well. I just couldn’t ask for a better team. We’re excited, we have a lot of heart and I don’t think we’re done yet.”
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