'Clutch' Lady Tigers win SCOL softball title
Lead Summary
By
Stephen Forsha-sforsha@gmail.com
LONDON — Two wins on Saturday, including one in extra innings, put the McClain Lady Tigers at the top of the mountain in the South Central Ohio League. The title was won with an extra-inning win against the Lady Red Raiders, followed by a win over Highland County rival Hillsboro.
MHS earns the title outright as the Lady Falcons of Clinton-Massie lost their two most recent games, giving them three league losses.
"I was so proud of the girls for coming back on the road," MHS head coach Jarrod Haines said. "Everyone contributed in some way, and we flat-out hit the ball. It took us four innings to do, but when we started hitting … we exploded."
McClain now stands at 14-4 overall and 10-1 in the SCOL. They have one SCOL game remaining against Clinton-Massie on Tuesday at CMHS. On Wednesday, MHS will take on Sheridan in the Division II Sectional tournament in Greenfield.
Haines credited his team for their SCOL championship season.
"Our goal since day one was to win the SCOL. These girls deserve all the credit in the world, it would be hard to find a group of tougher individuals on the ball diamond," Haines said. "They accept any challenge given to them, and they don't quit … they don't give up. Now they are champions, and hats off to all of them."
In their first game on Saturday, the Lady Tigers won in eight innings, defeating London by a 9-7 score.
LHS scored first, taking a four-run lead after two innings, but the Lady Tigers did what they have done all season long, and that was battle until the final out.
The Lady Tigers scored their first run in the fourth inning, followed by a three-run fifth, tying the game at four.
London regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth with one run, taking a 5-4 advantage.
Again, McClain answered with one run in the sixth, tying the score at five. In the bottom of the sixth, LHS added one run for a 6-5 advantage.
McClain took a one-run lead by scoring two runs via a two-out, two-run home run by Brittany Mullikin. The Lady Red Raiders sent the game into extra innings with one run in the bottom of the seventh.
That's when the game got even more interesting.
McClain won the game in the eighth with two runs in the top of the inning. With one out, Cierra Landrum singled and took second on a base hit by Megan Dettwiller. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and scored with a two-run double by Jenna Perie.
"The girls were clutch," Haines said. "Brittany Mullikin's two-out home run in the seventh, and Jenna Perie's one-out, two-RBI double in the eighth were big for us," Haines said. "I have said it time and time again … we never quit. We just keep battling."
Against LHS, the Lady Tigers tallied 19 hits, while the Lady Red Raiders totaled 15 hits.
Frankie Wise, Landrum, Morgan Dettwiller and Mullikin each had three hits. Megan Dettwiller, Perie and Sasha Lawwell each had two hits. Logan Greene had one hit.
The fourth-inning run for MHS was scored by Morgan Dettwiller, who reached base on a single. She scored on a single by Mullikin.
In the fifth, McClain had runs scored by Wise, Landrum and Megan Dettwiller. Dettwiller's double scored Wise and Landrum. Wise reached the bases with a lead-off double, and Landrum singled. Dettwiller scored on a single by Lawwell.
The one run in the sixth inning was scored by Greene, who began the inning with a base hit. Megan Dettwiller batted in Greene with a fielder's choice.
Runs in the seventh were scored by Kate Crabtree and Mullikin. Crabtree took first on an error and scored on a two-run homer by Mullikin, with two outs.
The win in the circle was credited to Megan Dettwiller, who pitched one inning of relief. Dettwiller allowed one hit and had one strikeout. Landrum was the starting pitcher for MHS.
"Cierra struggled with a few of her pitches, but we have to credit London though, they hit the ball well," Haines said. "Megan came in and did a great job shutting the door."
BOX SCORE
MHS 000 312 1 2 — 9
LHS 220 011 1 0 — 7
- - - -
In their second game of the doubleheader, the Lady Tigers defeated Highland County rival Hillsboro, 11-0.
McClain scored two runs in the first inning when Landrum and Megan Dettwiller were plated on hits by Perie and Morgan Dettwiller.
In the second inning, Mullikin doubled and scored when Wise reached on an infield error by HHS.
MHS added two more runs in the third inning with Perie and Lawwell rounded the bases for a five-run lead. Crabtree and Mullikin were credited with RBIs. Mullikin doubled in the inning.
Again, the Lady Tigers scored two runs in an inning, taking a 7-0 lead after four innings. Scoring for MHS were Landrum and Perie, as Perie doubled in Landrum and Perie crossed home plate on a groundout by Crabtree.
Landrum and Perie finished the SCOL contest with 3-for-3 days at the plate. Morgan Dettwiller and Mullikin each went 3-for-4.
"We started the game hitting the ball and didn't stop," Haines said. "Jenna and Cierra both had huge days at the plate."
The fifth inning saw the Lady Tigers add four runs to their lead.
Scoring were Wise, Landrum, Megan Dettwiller and Mullikin. Perie had two RBIs in the inning, while Landrum and Morgan Dettwiller each had one RBI in the fifth.
Megan Dettwiller gained the win for MHS. She tallied five strikeouts, allowing five hits and walking two in the shutout win.
"Megan pitched an excellent ballgame," Haines said. "Coming off a rough outing against Washington, she kept the Hillsboro hitters off-balance and didn't give up a run."
For HHS, gaining hits were Everhart, Kayla Deatley, Sara Ray, Taylor Moberly and Hilterbran. Gaining walks were Everhart and Jenni Middleton.
BOX SCORE
MHS 212 24— 11
HHS 000 00 — 0[[In-content Ad]]
MHS earns the title outright as the Lady Falcons of Clinton-Massie lost their two most recent games, giving them three league losses.
"I was so proud of the girls for coming back on the road," MHS head coach Jarrod Haines said. "Everyone contributed in some way, and we flat-out hit the ball. It took us four innings to do, but when we started hitting … we exploded."
McClain now stands at 14-4 overall and 10-1 in the SCOL. They have one SCOL game remaining against Clinton-Massie on Tuesday at CMHS. On Wednesday, MHS will take on Sheridan in the Division II Sectional tournament in Greenfield.
Haines credited his team for their SCOL championship season.
"Our goal since day one was to win the SCOL. These girls deserve all the credit in the world, it would be hard to find a group of tougher individuals on the ball diamond," Haines said. "They accept any challenge given to them, and they don't quit … they don't give up. Now they are champions, and hats off to all of them."
In their first game on Saturday, the Lady Tigers won in eight innings, defeating London by a 9-7 score.
LHS scored first, taking a four-run lead after two innings, but the Lady Tigers did what they have done all season long, and that was battle until the final out.
The Lady Tigers scored their first run in the fourth inning, followed by a three-run fifth, tying the game at four.
London regained the lead in the bottom of the fifth with one run, taking a 5-4 advantage.
Again, McClain answered with one run in the sixth, tying the score at five. In the bottom of the sixth, LHS added one run for a 6-5 advantage.
McClain took a one-run lead by scoring two runs via a two-out, two-run home run by Brittany Mullikin. The Lady Red Raiders sent the game into extra innings with one run in the bottom of the seventh.
That's when the game got even more interesting.
McClain won the game in the eighth with two runs in the top of the inning. With one out, Cierra Landrum singled and took second on a base hit by Megan Dettwiller. Both runners advanced on a passed ball and scored with a two-run double by Jenna Perie.
"The girls were clutch," Haines said. "Brittany Mullikin's two-out home run in the seventh, and Jenna Perie's one-out, two-RBI double in the eighth were big for us," Haines said. "I have said it time and time again … we never quit. We just keep battling."
Against LHS, the Lady Tigers tallied 19 hits, while the Lady Red Raiders totaled 15 hits.
Frankie Wise, Landrum, Morgan Dettwiller and Mullikin each had three hits. Megan Dettwiller, Perie and Sasha Lawwell each had two hits. Logan Greene had one hit.
The fourth-inning run for MHS was scored by Morgan Dettwiller, who reached base on a single. She scored on a single by Mullikin.
In the fifth, McClain had runs scored by Wise, Landrum and Megan Dettwiller. Dettwiller's double scored Wise and Landrum. Wise reached the bases with a lead-off double, and Landrum singled. Dettwiller scored on a single by Lawwell.
The one run in the sixth inning was scored by Greene, who began the inning with a base hit. Megan Dettwiller batted in Greene with a fielder's choice.
Runs in the seventh were scored by Kate Crabtree and Mullikin. Crabtree took first on an error and scored on a two-run homer by Mullikin, with two outs.
The win in the circle was credited to Megan Dettwiller, who pitched one inning of relief. Dettwiller allowed one hit and had one strikeout. Landrum was the starting pitcher for MHS.
"Cierra struggled with a few of her pitches, but we have to credit London though, they hit the ball well," Haines said. "Megan came in and did a great job shutting the door."
BOX SCORE
MHS 000 312 1 2 — 9
LHS 220 011 1 0 — 7
- - - -
In their second game of the doubleheader, the Lady Tigers defeated Highland County rival Hillsboro, 11-0.
McClain scored two runs in the first inning when Landrum and Megan Dettwiller were plated on hits by Perie and Morgan Dettwiller.
In the second inning, Mullikin doubled and scored when Wise reached on an infield error by HHS.
MHS added two more runs in the third inning with Perie and Lawwell rounded the bases for a five-run lead. Crabtree and Mullikin were credited with RBIs. Mullikin doubled in the inning.
Again, the Lady Tigers scored two runs in an inning, taking a 7-0 lead after four innings. Scoring for MHS were Landrum and Perie, as Perie doubled in Landrum and Perie crossed home plate on a groundout by Crabtree.
Landrum and Perie finished the SCOL contest with 3-for-3 days at the plate. Morgan Dettwiller and Mullikin each went 3-for-4.
"We started the game hitting the ball and didn't stop," Haines said. "Jenna and Cierra both had huge days at the plate."
The fifth inning saw the Lady Tigers add four runs to their lead.
Scoring were Wise, Landrum, Megan Dettwiller and Mullikin. Perie had two RBIs in the inning, while Landrum and Morgan Dettwiller each had one RBI in the fifth.
Megan Dettwiller gained the win for MHS. She tallied five strikeouts, allowing five hits and walking two in the shutout win.
"Megan pitched an excellent ballgame," Haines said. "Coming off a rough outing against Washington, she kept the Hillsboro hitters off-balance and didn't give up a run."
For HHS, gaining hits were Everhart, Kayla Deatley, Sara Ray, Taylor Moberly and Hilterbran. Gaining walks were Everhart and Jenni Middleton.
BOX SCORE
MHS 212 24— 11
HHS 000 00 — 0[[In-content Ad]]