Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
ATHENS — Despite having previously won back-to-back state titles, last season taught Wheelersburg that winning at a top level isn’t always easy.
A loss in a regional final last spring negated the program’s chance to win a third straight state championship.
However, that shortcoming is now in the team’s rearview mirror.
The Pirates only needed one swing of the bat to make their presence felt on Sunday, riding pitching, defense and methodical scoring the rest of the way to a 7-1 victory over Wellston in a Division V regional final on Sunday.
“I’ve been blessed to be on this stage and win a few times, but the best part of this is the journey,” Wheelersburg coach Teresa Ruby said. “These seniors had to step out of the comfort zone and be vocal leaders of a team that really didn’t have an identity in the early stages of the season. But this team now sees who they are and what they’re able to do, and it’s pretty special to watch.”
Wheelersburg is headed to its home away from home, Akron, for the fourth time in five seasons.
“This is amazing. Everyone knows what happened last year, but we made it our mission to wipe that away,” Wheelersburg’s Laken Wright said. “It’s a new team with new goals and it feels so great to be going back to Akron with the best teammates.”
After a walk and a single opened the game, Wellston got an early gift, thanks to a Wheelersburg fielding error, making it 1-0.
However, that momentum didn’t last very long.
The Rockets dropped a two-out pop-up in foul territory to keep the Pirates alive at the plate, and it came back to bite them.
The batter was hit by a pitch, which set up Laken Wright to work the count and take a 2-2 offering into the center field trees for a three-run shot, putting ‘Burg ahead 3-1.
“I noticed that she was throwing me some inside pitches, so I knew one was going to come at the right time,” Wright said. “As soon as it came off the bat, I knew it was going to be a good hit. I didn’t think it was going over the fence, but watching it go was really exciting for my team and myself.”
Defense took center stage for the next three innings as both offenses went scoreless, including a 9-2 putout from Mylee Jo Gleim and a diving line drive catch from Catie Boggs.
“I had a blunder early, but my coaches always tell me to flush things and move on,” Gleim said. “Those type of things help me prepare, and in that moment, I told myself that I couldn’t worry about the little things. Getting that putout was great and I’m glad I pushed through.”
Then the bottom of the fifth came.
It started with back-to-back singles from Catie Boggs and Kaylynn Carter. Emma Smith then executed a perfect suicide squeeze to score the runner on a fielder’s choice, pushing the lead to 4-1.
On the next pitch, the Pirates hit a high pop-up that was dropped, allowing two runners to cross home plate, extending the lead to 6-1.
Though the game was in hand at that point, Carter added to the damage with an RBI double in the sixth before sitting Wellston down in the seventh, punching the Pirates’ Final 4 ticket.
Carter earned the win in the circle, going the distance and allowing six hits. She also went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, while Wright finished 1-for-2 with a home run and three RBIs.
For Wellston, Hannah Potts suffered the loss in six innings, allowing five hits and four earned runs while striking out nine batters.
While Wellston’s season comes to an end, Wheelersburg moves onto a Division V state semifinal against Oak Harbor, who defeated Milford Fairbanks by a 6-5 final to advance.
That game will take place at 12:30 p.m., Thursday at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.
“We’re going to be more prepared than ever, and we’re so ready for this moment,” Gleim said. “Now that we’re officially going, there’s only one thing left to do.”
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