Brock Netter, Editor

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
LOGAN — After Wednesday’s 3-1 victory over Gallia Academy, Logan Elm coach Jamey Binkley had a long talk with the team before exiting the dugout.
He wasn’t satisfied with how the Braves played, or the type of energy they brought and wanted to see more fire on Friday.
He got just that … and then some.

CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
Logan Elm (19-7) jumped ahead of Jackson quickly and never looked back, seizing a significant lead before even taking the field en route to a 9-3 victory over Jackson in a Division IV district final.
“This is all a testament to the kids and truly a huge credit goes to our assistant coach David Polly. There’s so many things he handled for us in practice and his experience has been invaluable for the program,” Logan Elm coach Jamey Binkley said. “We were hitting the ball extremely hard throughout the whole lineup and we set the tone. A challenge was laid out to our girls after the Gallia Academy game and these girls absolutely answered the bell.”
Before last season, Logan Elm had waited 10 years to capture a district championship.
This year, all the Braves had to do was wait 371 days.
And the bats were swinging early.
Following back-to-back singles to open the game, Brittani Lane slapped a two-run single into right field to make it 2-0. Three batters later, with two runners on, Morgan Armold laced a two-run double into center field, extending the advantage to 4-0.
“I’m always looking into the field when I step to the plate just to see where the players are and where the open gaps are,” Armold said. “I knew I couldn’t hit it to the left side or into a double play. Our coach is always saying to swing hard, and sometimes I haven’t always done that. But I saw my pitch and swung as hard as I could that time.”
The energy was contagious and the Braves weren’t done. Maleah Gardner blooped an RBI single into shallow left field before scoring off an RBI double from Hannah Gooley, making it 6-0.
When the Braves took the field in the bottom of the of the first, the game was essentially all but over.
“Morgan, to her credit, she got everyone together on the bus after the Gallia game and told the team, ‘We’re never playing like that again,’ and we all agreed with her,” Sadie Binkley said. “I think hearing that from someone different rather than a coach means a little more, and we were hitting the crap out of the ball in practice the next day and kept that going into this game.”
Jackson (20-7) got on the board in the bottom of the second when Izzy Swisher notched a two-run single, followed by Logan Elm committing a fielding error, which cut the deficit to 6-3.
But that was all the offense the Ironladies could muster.
Meanwhile, Jackson committed a pair of fielding errors that led to two more LE runs, while Sadie Binkley notched an RBI groundout that put a lid on the scoring.
“We lost nine seniors from last season, but we still had a pretty good core of girls coming back this year and it all started with them,” Jamey Binkley said. “There were some spots we had to fill in the beginning and then five games in, we had to fill another spot due to injury. But these girls have been so resilient and the young girls have done such a great job. It’s been night and day from the first game to now. This is a really coachable group, and once they saw the things we do in practice work in a game, they really started to believe.”
Armold finished the night 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs, Gooley went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI, and Gardner added a hit and an RBI.
Lane was 1-for-3 with two RBIs while Binkley earned the win in a complete game effort alongside four strikeouts in the circle. She was 2-for-5 at the plate with an RBI.
WATCH: @lehssoftball’s @morgan_0122 & @SadieBinkley discuss winning back-to-back district titles, their chemistry as pitcher-catcher, bringing the energy from the first pitch, Arnold’s two-run double and advancing back to regionals. pic.twitter.com/RaSv4hLiUF
— Brock A. Netter (@SirBrockNetter) May 23, 2025
For Jackson, Swisher went 1-for-3 with two RBIs while Serenity Taylor suffered the loss, striking out seven batters.
While Jackson’s season comes to an end, Logan Elm moves to a Division IV regional final against Meadowbrook, who beat Harrison Central by a 17-5 final, to advance out of the East District.
That contest will begin at 5 p.m., Wednesday at Philo High School.
“I’m so excited. We talk about memories from last year, and it kind of dawned on us that we can do it again,” Sadie Binkley said. “Regionals are going to be a lot of fun, and I want another shot because I believe we can win the whole thing.”
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