The Olentangy softball team rallied for two runs in the seventh after surrendering the lead in the sixth.
Pitcher Sophie Low followed with a 1-2-3 seventh to nail down a 3-2 Olentangy win over Hilliard Bradley in a Division I district semifinal game Monday at Olentangy High School.
Low, who went the distance, allowed four hits and gave up just two unearned runs while striking out six for 13th-seeded Olentangy in the win.
“She pitched a great game,” Olentangy coach Alan Tharp said. ““We left (nine) on base at least. We didn’t get those timely hits. But, we did get timely hits (in the seventh).”
Brooke Wells led off the seventh with a walk and Morgan Cox followed with a single to set up Payton Cox’s game-tying single after an Olivia Davidson groundout moved the runners up.
Low sacrificed the runners over and Kirsten Kracht walked to set up Emily Bullock’s go-ahead hit – a groundball base hit to center.
“They’re a good group of kids,” Tharp said. “They’ve all been playing good together … great comradery. (They’re) the cardiac kids.”
Seventh-seeded Bradley used two errors and a Heather Holly double to score its go-ahead run in the sixth.
Payton Cox led Olentangy (17-11) with three hits and Morgan Cox had a hit, a run and an RBI, which came on a fielder’s choice groundout that scored Olivia Gregory to tie the game 1-1 in the third.
Lexie Hilling took the loss for the Jaguars (17-5). She allowed three runs (all earned) on nine hits and four walks and struck out six in a complete-game effort. Her RBI single in the first gave Bradley the early lead.
Olentangy faces 18th-seeded Reynoldsburg for a district title at Pickerington Central High School at a date and time to be determined.
Mount Vernon 8, Delaware Hayes 3
Chloe Barton had three hits, a RBI and a run and Amaia Daniel crushed a two-run homer to lead the Delaware Hayes softball team.
But the Pacers just didn’t have enough offense to get past Mount Vernon, falling 8-3 in a district semifinal game Monday at Olentangy High School.
“Our meat of the lineup didn’t hit the ball like they had all year,” Hayes coach Mark Thomas said.
The 15th-seeded Yellow Jackets (22-6) pounded out 14 hits and used a three-run fourth to take control and a four-run seventh to put it out of reach.
Mollie Pentz had three hits, drove in three runs and scored twice and Savvy Blubaugh had two hits – both doubles – and drove in three runs to lead the MV offense.
Macee Marcum went the distance for the win in the circle for the Jackets. She allowed three runs (all earned) on eight hits and struck out three.
“Marcum pitched a great game in the circle,” Thomas said. “She’s a heck of a competitor and Mount Vernon is a good squad.”
Haley Osborne took the loss for the fifth-seeded Pacers (19-3). She went the distance, allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 14 hits and no walks and had eight strikeouts. She also collected two hits.
“It hurts very bad,” Thomas said. “I wanted to go to the district final for these seniors … and I wanted it for our community. Our community comes out every week, every game and cheers us on and I thank them for doing that.”
Mount Vernon faces sixth-seeded Gahanna Lincoln for a district title at Pickerington Central High School at a date and time to be determined.
