Derrick Webb, Managing Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — All year long, Piketon’s Aubrey Heath has provided jaw-dropping moments with a side of unmatched energy.
But her magnificent season reached a climax — almost immediately — on Friday in the program’s most important game in nearly 10 years.
The SVC Player of the Year made a bang in her first at-bat of the evening, taking a 2-1 offering and depositing it over the right-center field fence.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
As she’s done all spring, she gave her teammates a spark and, as they’ve done all spring, they followed in their leader’s footsteps.
Heath’s solo shot sparked a five-run first inning, one Zane Trace could never recover from, as the Redstreaks cruised to a 7-3 victory — claiming the program’s first district title since 2017.
“It was huge. We talk about scoring early and often, just to get out to a big lead,” Piketon coach Mark Blakeman said. “So we’ve done that a lot this year. But for [Heath] to hit a home run right off the bat … we go with her. She’s our energizer, she keeps us going and it just seems like, when she gets a hit, it starts a big chain reaction. She just starts everything off.”
In total, the Redstreaks (23-3) collected 11 hits, four of which went for extra bases.
“They’ve grown a lot,” Blakeman said. “We went down early to South Point and played and they beat us 9-1. That was kind of a wake-up call. Then we got on a roll. They’ve improved so much from the beginning of the season to now. I knew we were going to hit well, even before the season started. I see it in practice. I’ve got a whole team of hitters.”
After Heath’s home run in the bottom of the first inning, Jaylin Forbes doubled into left field. Briar Penwell then singled before Addy Blakeman made her presence known, doubling in both runners for a 3-0 count.
It was then Kyndall Caroll’s turn to join the party and she doubled into right field, scoring Blakeman and pushing the lead to 4-0. Later in the inning, with one out, Lacrissa Leeth laid down a picture-perfect sacrifice bunt, scoring another run and ending a five-run first.
That, in a sense, was all she wrote.
Piketon added a run in each of the second and third innings — thanks to an RBI single from Blakeman and a passed ball that scored Ava Ricer — to make it 7-0.
PHOTOS: Images from Piketon’s district championship win over Zane Trace
Zane Trace (10-18) finally graced the scoreboard in the top of the fifth when Haylyn Boggess-Pierce doubled in a pair of runs. The Pioneers then scored again in the seventh when Grace Lyon lined a last-ditch effort into right field, cutting the deficit to four.
But Carroll then induced a fly out and a ground out, cementing the night’s final.
“It feels great,” Heath said. “We started from the bottom. Our seniors started from the very bottom. We came in this year and we’re like, ‘It’s our time.’ We’ve put in the work and we’ve earned this.”
Statistically, Zane Trace was led by Haylynn Boggess-Pierce, who finished 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Meanwhile, Grace Lyon was 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI, while both Reagan Arthurs and Kaydance Burkitt added doubles as well.
Blakeman helped pace Piketon’s offense with a 2-for-4 effort alongside three RBIs. Heath was 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored, and Forbes finished 2-for-4 with a double, a triple and a run.
In the circle, Carroll worked through six innings of six-hit softball, surrendering one earned run and whiffing two batters. She also contributed at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a double, a run, and an RBI.
“Kyndall does a great job and she’s done a great job this year,” Blakeman said. “She was at the top of our league in ERA, which is big. So all we’ve got to do is score a few runs when we’re out there, and we’re good. And our defense, they lock it down. We’ve turned 23 double plays in 25 games. That’s almost unheard of.”
While the Pioneers’ season — one that led them to their first district championship game in quite some time — comes to a close, Piketon advances to a Division V regional semifinal at 2 p.m., Wednesday at Ohio University.
The Redstreaks will meet with Wheelersburg, who defeated Adena to advance.
“We just can’t get in our heads,” Heath said. “We have a great defense and a great offense. So we just have to play like we know we can and there shouldn’t be a reason we won’t win.”
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