Carson Francis, Staff Writer
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
LOGAN — Things were mere inches away from taking a turn for the worse for Unioto on Thursday.
The Shermans held a two-run advantage in a Division III district semifinal and had Chillicothe down to its final out when junior Cadie Boltenhouse — the Cavaliers’ career home run leader — lifted a fly ball into center field.
It was almost a sure thing that there’d be extra innings when the ball landed.
Almost. Unioto’s Madie Tuttle had other plans.
The junior backed up to the warning track and elevated to make a game-sealing snag, eliminating the Cavaliers by a 4-2 final and punching the Shermans’ ticket to a Division III district title game.
“I was just like, ‘I can’t drop this, I can’t drop this,’” Tuttle said. “I didn’t even know the fence was behind me, and I was just kind of shocked that I caught it, actually. I’m ecstatic that I helped win that game.”
CREDIT: Raymond Gleadle/SOSA
The win also avenges Unioto’s 9-1 loss to the Cavaliers on April 7 of this season.
“At the plate, we just had to put the ball in play. The first time we faced them, [Chillicothe’s CJ Rittinger] struck us out 17 times. You can’t win ball games having errors and striking out that many times,” Unioto coach Spencer Smith said. “We worked really hard this week in practice, and the girls bought in. They want to keep playing, so we have their full attention, and all the credit goes to them.”
Thankfully for Unioto (18-11), Mackenzie Eisel did more than just put the ball in play in her first trip to the plate.
After a scoreless first frame, Eisel led off the top of the second by lifting one over the fence in center for a solo shot. The Shermans then worked the bases loaded before Kendall Corcoran was hit by a pitch as the lead grew to 2-0.
“We’re a big momentum team, and we really work off of momentum and keep it going through the lineup,” Eisel said. “I knew that if I started it, everyone else was going to keep it going.”
Unioto pitcher Macie Cox also held up her end of the deal, keeping the Cavaliers hitless through the first three innings and, meanwhile, her teammates continued to give her support in the top of the fourth.
With two runners in scoring position, Haylee Hull launched a line drive into left field to plate a run and advance Unioto’s lead to 3-0.
But Chillicothe (20-7) was nowhere near ready to pack it up yet.
The Cavaliers loaded the bases before Bri Cousins gave her team both its first hit and its first run, when she singled to bring Isabella Witte home to cut the deficit to 3-1.
After taking her first punch from the circle, Cox responded at the plate, however.
With one out in the top of the fifth, Tuttle doubled into left field before Cox singled in the next at-bat to bring Tuttle around to score, extending the lead to 4-1.
“Our lineup, one through nine, is all dangerous. We’re not top-heavy, our whole lineup can hit the ball,” Smith said. “We wanted to hit [Rittinger] early in the count, put the ball in play, and make [Chillicothe] field it.”
The Cavaliers once again answered in their half of the frame, though, as Boltenhouse singled to drive in a run and bring them back to within two at 4-2.
And, with their season on the line, the Cavaliers kept attacking in the game’s final stages. However, Unioto’s defense countered with several key defensive plays.
Danika Simpson reached on a fielding error to lead off the bottom of the sixth and, two batters later, Cousins stood at the dish and represented the tying run. She fired a ground ball down the third base line.
But Unioto third baseman Kailani Hutton put together a web gem by picking the ball out of the dirt and firing to second before the Shermans threw Cousins out at first, turning a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Cavaliers were down to their final out after back-to-back flyouts started the frame. But Vivian Morgan kept things alive for Chillicothe with a single.
That brough up Boltenhouse, who represented the game’s tying run.
On the first pitch she saw, she lifted one into straightaway center, and it looked like it was leaving the yard.
But Tuttle made a perfect read on the ball and tracked it all the way to the fence, where she jumped up and robbed the potential tying homer, sealing a 4-2 upset victory, sending Unioto back into a district final.
“In my opinion, Madie is the best outfielder in the area. She covers a lot of ground and she works really hard,” Smith said. “You’re nervous whenever Boltenhouse is up, because she’s their best hitter. But great players make great plays, and that was one of the best ones I’ve seen.”
Tuttle led the charge offensively for Unioto, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run. Cox also finished 2-for-4 with a run driven in. Eisel was 1-for-4 with her home run, and Hull finished 1-for-4 with her RBI.
Chillicothe’s season comes to a close after earning a share of the FAC title. The Cavaliers say goodbye to three seniors — Cousins, Morgan and Simpson.
Unioto advances to Saturday’s Division III district final against Dresden Tri-Valley, who earned a 9-5 win over Steubenville on May 13 to advance. That contest will begin at noon, back at Logan High School.
“Coming back with a district championship would mean everything with this group. We’ll go celebrate, but we’ll put a game plan together tonight,” Smith said. “We’re keeping everything on schedule. The bus will leave and we’ll be ready to go at noon.”
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