Brock Netter, Editor
Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
AKRON — Ava Estep loves the big stage.
It’s her comfort zone. It’s where she thrives, and it’s where she took Miami East’s heart on Saturday before leaving it in her dust.
The University of Maryland signee finished 2-for-3 with five RBIs, leading Wheelersburg to a 10-5 victory over the Vikings in a Division V state semifinal — and added a momentum-swinging inside-the-park grand slam to provide the exclamation point on a victory.
But before Estep’s antics, early nerves caught up to Wheelersburg (22-5) in the beginning stages of the contest.
CREDIT: Brock Netter/SOSA
After being retired in order to begin the game, the Pirates committed a fielding error, which was followed by a throwing error. And those miscues led to pair of scores, giving Miami East (26-6) a 2-0 lead.
‘Burg, however, began to settle in from there and found their groove in the third.
Lauren Truitt logged the team’s first hit of the game before scoring on an RBI single from Estep.
Two batters later, with two runners on, Mylee Jo Gleim smacked an RBI single into left field. Miami East, on the same play, made two errors that allowed a second runner to score, putting the Pirates in front at 3-2.
The Vikings quickly turned around in the bottom half with an RBI groundout from Caitlin Howell, tying the game at 3-3.
However, the game shifted in a huge way and it was Estep’s fault.
A pair of singles from Emmee Eaton and Lainey Skeenes, alongside a walk to Matti Jennings, set up Estep with the bases loaded.
With nowhere to put her, the Vikings had to pitch to her, and she made them pay in a major way with a shot to right field — a ball that skipped past a diving fielder. She turned on the burners and slid home safely for the inside-the-park grand slam, breaking the game open and giving Wheelersburg a commanding 7-3 lead.
The Vikings got a run back in the bottom half with an RBI single from Jaycee Roeth, trying to keep within an arm’s length. But Gleim stepped up in the sixth with two runners on and laced a two-run single into center field, extending the lead to 9-4.
Wheelersburg gave Miami East a run back with a throwing error to trim the deficit to 9-5, but Truitt answered with an RBI double to produce the night’s final score and send the Pirates into the state title game.
Following Estep’s final stat line was Gleim, who finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs. Truitt was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.
Eaton earned the win in the circle in five innings of work, allowing three earned runs and striking out five batters.
Wheelersburg advances to the Division V state championship at 1:30 on Sunday at Firestone Stadium. The Pirates will meet with Liberty Union, who beat South Range by an 8-1 final to advance.
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