Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CIRCLEVILLE — Libby Poorman will remember that swing forever.
Eastern’s junior stepped to the dish in the bottom of the eighth inning on Saturday with a runner on first and a district championship hanging in the balance.
And, after battling in the count, she sent a 2-2 offering screaming into right field. The ball bounced, getting past the outfielder and the game-winning run crossed the dish.
Ball game. Eastern 4, West 3.
Poorman’s heroics secured the program’s first-ever district championship. She’s forever a legend.
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
“In my first two at-bats, I didn’t get a hit at all, and my coach actually took me out of the lineup. So that really fueled me to get it together,” Poorman said. “Stepping into that at-bat, I knew I had to lock in and make something happen. It was a 2-2 count, I crowded the plate a little so I knew it was going to be outside, and I put the bat on the ball.
“Running the bases and seeing [Reese Jones] score, that was such a happy and incredible feeling. I couldn’t be more happy for our team to have this moment.”
While Poorman’s hit will be forever immortalized in Eastern lore, Leah Rader’s day was nothing short of spectacular.
The junior hurler tossed all eight innings, striking out 10 batters in the process. She was also a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish with a pair of RBIs.
“I went 4-for-4 against [Lynchburg-Clay], so I had to keep that momentum coming into this one,” Rader said. “I knew they were pitching in the middle, so getting my bat on it and taking the ball to the opposite side was huge. I also knew West was a really good hitting team from seeing them earlier this season, so I had to come out strong.”
Rader didn’t waste time getting right to work. After recording a pair of strikeouts to open the game, she came to bat in the bottom of the first and logged an RBI single to put her Eagles (21-7) ahead 1-0.
PHOTOS: Images from Eastern’s district championship win over West
Following a scoreless second, West (15-12) got on the board in the top of the third when Kyley McCleese notched an RBI single through the left side, tying the game at 1-1.
Not to be outdone, the Eagles quickly responded in the bottom half. With runners on first and third, the Senators committed a fielding error to score a runner, and send the other to third.
That set up Rader to deliver again as she smoked her second RBI single into right field, extending the lead to 3-1.
Eastern cruised through the fourth and fifth, but the Senators were done fighting yet.
McCleese led off the sixth with a single and later advanced to second on a passed ball. Following a pair of fly outs, Ariane Jordan came to the dish and sent an 0-2 rocket over the center field fence, tying the game at 3-3.
A scoreless seventh took the game into extra innings.
West went in order, which set up Eastern to make school history.
Rader led off with a single and that paved the way for Poorman to become a legend with her RBI double, sending the Eagles to their first-ever Sweet 16.
“The girls never quit, and I couldn’t be more proud of how they handled themselves on this stage in the moment,” Eastern coach Josh Nickell said. “Everybody has a role from starters to pinch runners and the girls on the bench, and they all bought in. We’re a scrappy bunch and this is such a great feeling, and these girls deserve it.”
Alongside Rader’s final stat line, Poorman finished 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, while Aubrey Quillen’s lone hit was the 100th of her career.
For West, Jordan finished 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs, and McCleese was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Eastern advances to a Division VI regional semifinal at 2 p.m, Wednesday at Pickerington Central High School. The Eagles will matchup against West Jefferson, who beat Grandview Heights to advance out of the Central District.
“We’re such a young team, but the girls that have the experience really stepped up and delivered today,” Nickell said. “It took some time to figure out where everyone goes and what works best for us since there’s a lot of freshmen starting. When we’re focused, we can hit with anyone and play defense with the best. We’re excited to move on and to keep fighting to play for our lone senior Aubrey, who is one of the best players and teammates you can have.”
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