The 15th-seeded Olentangy Orange softball team won its tournament opener in style, getting a walk-off hit from Riley Jestadt to slip past 22nd-seeded Pickerington North 5-4 in a Division I sectional final Thursday night in Lewis Center.
With things all even in the bottom of the seventh, Jestadt strolled to the plate with the winning run standing at third base. She put the ball in play and, while the Panthers were able to make a play on it, Leah Weaver beat the throw home for the game-winning run.
Anna Wilming, who gave up two first-inning runs from the pitcher’s circle, more than made up for it in the bottom of the third, sending a three-run homer over the centerfield fence to give the Pioneers a 3-2 edge.
Orange made it 4-2 when Weaver drove in Carley Phillips with a double in the fourth, but North clawed back to even with single tallies in the fifth and sixth.
The win sets up a district semifinal showdown against Delaware Hayes Tuesday night at a site to be determined. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
Delaware Hayes 10, Thomas Worthington 0, 6 inn.
It took them a few innings to get going, but once they did the 10th-seeded Pacers took control in a hurry, scoring four runs in the third and another four in the fourth on the way to a lopsided Division I sectional final win over the visiting and 30th-seeded Cardinals Thursday night in Delaware.
Lauren Tompkins drove in half of Hayes’ runs, hitting a pair of home runs to go with five RBI. Myaih Cloud also homered, closing 2-for-4 with three RBI, and Bronwynn Leighty scored a game-high three times.
Kassy Stefanski and the defense took care of the rest. Stefanski allowed just two hits while striking out eight in five scoreless innings. The defense, meanwhile, played errorless ball behind her.
Maddie Kiss pitched a scoreless sixth to seal the deal.
Olentangy Liberty 7, New Albany 2
The sixth-seeded Patriots scored in each of the first three innings, jumping out to a 7-0 third-inning lead they parlayed into a Division I sectional final win over the 25th-seeded Eagles Thursday night in Powell.
Lacy Thompson led the way at the plate, finishing 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI. Luci Matteo also had two hits in the win while Tyler Krohn knocked in a pair.
Lindsey Leeds was the winner in the circle, allowing two runs on eight hits while striking out five in seven innings of work.
Next up, Liberty will take on ninth-seeded Mount Vernon in a district semifinal Tuesday at a site to be determined. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m.
Olentangy 4, Hilliard Bradley 3
The 16th-seeded Braves scored two runs in the fourth to even things up and added two more in the fifth to take the lead for good on the way to a Division I sectional final win over the host and seventh-seeded Jaguars Thursday night in Hilliard.
Emma Willers led the way at the plate, finishing with two of Olentangy’s six hits — a double and a triple — while scoring a run and driving in another. Kai Cornelius also had an RBI in the win.
Jaelyn Peterson secured the complete-game win in the circle, allowing three runs on 10 hits while striking out seven.
With the win, Olentangy will take on fifth-seeded Teays Valley in Tuesday’s district semifinal. First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. at a site to be determined.
Upper Arlington 5, Olentangy Berlin 4
The eighth-seeded Bears scored three runs in the fifth to get within one, but couldn’t complete the comeback during a Division I sectional final against 12th-seeded Upper Arlington Thursday night in Delaware.
Down 5-1 after UA scored five times in the fourth, Berlin sliced the deficit to a run with one swing of the bat. After Elizabeth Sprecher and Adelynne Young singled to start the fifth, Izzie Wilson drove a home run over the right field fence to tighten things up considerably.
The three-run bomb was the last hit the Bears would get the rest of the game, though, as Upper Arlington held on thanks to solid pitching down the stretch.
Wilson finished 2-for-4 and drove in all four Berlin runs.
Lancaster 21, Big Walnut 0, 5 inn.
The top-seeded Golden Gales flexed their muscles, connecting for 17 hits, including three homers, on the way to a lopsided Division I sectional final win over the 37th-seeded Golden Eagles Thursday night in Lancaster.
Lancaster used an eight-run second to take an early 10-0 lead before adding another three runs in the third and eight more in the fourth to account for the final margin.
Big Walnut managed just one hit in the setback — a single off the bat of Tara Shuster.
