Notre Dame Titans softball
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Brock Netter

Brock is SOSA's primary writer and has worked for the Coshocton Tribune, the Kankakee Daily Journal (Ill.), the Vinton-Jackson Courier and the Jackson Telegram. He's a six-time award-winning journalist, a lifelong WWE fan, a suffering Bengals fan and calls the sidelines his home.

Notre Dame etches history, beats Symmes Valley to clinch first-ever Final 4 trip

The Titans are Final 4 bound.

Brock Netter, Editor

Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.

GROVEPORT — At some point, when you knock at opportunity’s door, it’s going to open. 

For the last three years, the Titans have been at the doorstep of the Final 4, only to be turned away. 

“Believe it or not, losing year after year in a regional final brings you closer together as a team,” Notre Dame’s Maddie Entler said. “We’ve been super focused this year, and we knew we didn’t want to experience that losing feeling again, so we did this for each other and all glory to God.”

This year, there was no knocking.

They kicked in the door and took what was theirs and, now, they’re headed to Akron. 

Behind a five-hit shutout from Ava Rush and timely hits throughout the day, the Titans (26-3) captured the elusive regional championship with a 7-0 victory over Symmes Valley in a Division VII regional final. 

“This is absolutely amazing. It’s been a lot of hard work and heartbreak, but these girls have shown a lot of fight and I couldn’t be more proud or happy for them,” Notre Dame coach Shad Ford said. “Finally we got that monkey off our back and got over the hump. There’s a great amount of fight on this team and we fight on every pitch.”

It marks the first regional title for Notre Dame in school history for any girls sport.

“I think our schedule definitely played a part of this. We’ve faced some tough teams throughout the season, and considering how young we are, that only made us better,” Ford said. “Facing D-I pitchers, playing Logan Elm towards the end of the season, it made us right for this moment and to finish strong. But there’s more to come.”

Symmes Valley (27-3) missed an early chance with the bases loaded, striking out to end the top of the first inning. 

Notre Dame had the same chance in the bottom of the first, and capitalized when Lyndsey Schaefer smacked a two-run single into left field, giving the Titans a 2-0 lead.

“Be on time and be disciplined, that’s what was going through my mind during that at-bat,” Schaefer said. “I knew if I swing the bat hard and made contact that it would turn into something good.”

The Vikings committed a throwing error in the second to put a runner on, and Maddie Entler drove her in with an RBI single up the middle for a 3-0 advantage. 

The hits kept coming in the fourth, this time in the form of a solo moonshot off the bat of Kate Entler, extending the lead to 4-0.

“We’ve been preparing a lot all week in the cages and seeing a bunch of different pitches since we know how good [Symmes Valley pitcher] Brenna [Tibbs] is,” Kate said. “It all came down to timing, and once I saw it the pitch, I timed it and took advantage of it.”

Although the game appeared well in hand, considering how effectively Ava Rush was pitching, her teammates weren’t done providing run support.

With two runners on and two outs in the fifth, Kennedy Lyon delivered some extra cushion with a two-run single. Kate Entler later notched an RBI groundout that put the cherry on top of a historic Titan victory. 

Rush earned the win in a complete game shutout, allowing five hits and striking out 11 batters.

“I think sometimes we let the magnitude of being in [the regional tournament] get in our heads and you try to do too much,” Rush said. “I really focused on hitting my spots, controlling what I could and trusting my defense behind me. I thought I did a good job of that, and I’m really thankful.”

Maddie Entler was 2-for-4 with an RBI, while Kate Entler was 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs. Schaefer and Lyon each finished with a hit and two RBIs for the Titans. 

While Symmes Valley’s season comes to an end, Notre Dame moves onto a Division VII state semifinal against the winner of Covington and Charleston Southeastern. 

That game will happen at 5:30 p.m., Wednesday at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.

“A vacation in Akron may not sound ideal on the surface,” Ford said. “But it is for us.”

SPONSORED BY GLOCKNER FAMILY OF DEALERSHIPS

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