Bulldog mentality: Heath, Bloom-Carroll to meet again for district softball title

PICKERINGTON — It took them both a little while on Monday at Pickerington Central. But the Heath and Bloom-Carroll softball teams eventually muscled their way into a rematch many saw coming when the Division II district brackets were finalized.

The third-seeded Licking County Bulldogs socked a pair of home runs during a three-run sixth inning en route to a 7-1 semifinal win against ninth seed River Valley. And the fifth-seeded Fairfield County Bulldogs drilled a pair of long balls during a seven-run fourth-inning explosion, sending them on their way to an 8-1 victory against eighth seed Licking Valley in the other semifinal.

"It's hard to keep us down for very long," coach Ray Cooksey said about Heath (20-5) adding on late. "It always takes us a while to warm up. We're usually cold out of the box," said coach Chris Lucas of Bloom-Carroll (16-6), which now gets a chance to avenge last year's heartbreaking 1-0, nine-inning district final loss. The game will be played at 1 p.m. Saturday at Pickerington Central.

Freshman shortstop and leadoff hitter Kyndall Spicer not only helped Heath get out of the gate quickly, but helped finish the job. She poked a single to shallow left in the first, and rode home when Renae Cunningham's drive to center bounced off the top of the fence, and over for a two-run shot. They made it 3-0 when Katlyn Jardine and Shelby Moore walked and Savannah Lawson delivered an RBI single to center.

In the sixth inning, with Heath nursing a 4-1 lead, Makayla Jardine reached an on error and Spicer sliced a two-run, opposite field homer over the left-center field fence, her sixth of the year. Cunningham followed with a solo blast to center, her 16th of the spring.

"Kyndall sets the tone for what we're doing," Cooksey said. "She's really fast, she can get on and play small ball, can hit it in the gaps, and can hit with power when needed. We work on hitting those outside pitches."

"I'm just trying to get on as much as possible, and if I get ahead in the count and get a pitch I like, I'm able to hit home runs," Spicer said. "I was mostly getting outside pitches, so I just went with where the ball was pitched."

Moore doubled and had an RBI single in the fifth for Heath. Starter and winner Sydney Chapman and Cunningham combined for a six-hitter, with Chapman striking out five over her four innings.

The Vikings (14-8), hitting a robust .380 as a team, made a run at the Bulldogs in the fourth. Lanie Wooten and Shelby Westler smacked back-to-back doubles, and Westler went to third on a wild pitch, with losing pitcher Riley Hamm drawing a one-out walk. But freshman second baseman Sydney Cottrell speared Maizie Frank's line drive and threw to first for a double play. Spicer also made a leaping catch at short, taking away a hit in the sixth.

"They can hit. That's what got them here," Cooksey said.

"They're a good team, but we thought we could match up with them," said Vikings' coach Phil Shepler. "We hit some balls hard, right at people, and we just couldn't string any hits together."

Wooten had two hits for River Valley, which started four sophomores and two freshmen.

"We had a couple of season-ending injuries, and our senior right fielder (Emily Radcliff), who was in there because of that, took advantage and played a heck of a game," Shepler said. "She made a great catch and also had a hit."

Bloom-Carroll erupts

Meanwhile, Bloom-Carroll loaded the bases in the first against Licking Valley but managed just one run, on Alexa Luke's bases-loaded walk. The Bulldogs loaded them again in the second with none out, but Abby McNabb induced a pair of popups sandwiched around a strikeout. Then, the Panthers (15-8) tied it 1-1 in the third when Taylor Penick singled, went to second on an error, to third on a wild pitch and raced home on Brooklyn Ashbaugh's bunt single. But Valley also left the bases full and never threatened again against Ohio State-bound Lexi Paulsen.

Back-to-back errors in the fourth opened the door for B-C, and the Bulldogs barged through. Madi Grefe roped a two-run double to left center. With two out, Luke slammed a towering three-run homer over the right-center field fence. After Sophia Gleim's third hit of the game, freshman Claire Whitcraft clouted a two-run homer for an 8-1 lead.

"We were tired of it being 1-1 the whole time," said Luke, a senior left fielder. "I kept telling everyone, 'we have to want it more,' and we finally listened. I was not planning on going that (opposite) way. But she got me with a high ball on the pitch before. It gave me a sense of urgency, and I was ready."

With the big lead, Paulsen was lights out, mowing down 14 on strikes with three walks in a five-hitter.

"She's really good, with a great riseball, but we've seen some great pitchers," said Valley coach Chad Dennis. "We had a couple of chances early, and couldn't take advantage. We stayed with them, but if you give a team like that a little edge, they'll take advantage. That hit (by Grefe) put the spark in them. Abby (McNabb) didn't have her best stuff, but she's a warrior and kept battling."

"They've been playing really well, and like us, they've played some great teams," Lucas said. "That's why our record isn't as good as you might expect. But that's okay. It was getting us ready for the tournament."

Valley won 11 of 12 games after a 4-6 start. "That's pretty good in our league," Dennis said. "It was a great season for our seniors. They were so locked in, and I'm very proud of them." Bri Sawyers and Penick had two hits each for the Panthers.

Now, Heath and B-C can turn their sights towards each other. "We're ready to play, and I'm sure they'll be ready, too," Cooksey said. "It's going to be a little tough, but if we work as a team, we have a good chance," said Spicer.

"I think we're ready. It's go time now. This year, we have a lot better team chemistry, and that's important," Luke said.  "We're a different team than last year, and we'll be ready for them this time," Lucas said.

dweidig@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: NEW sb D2 district semifinals