Legging it out: Clever's infield single scores winning run in Lex's district semifinal victory over Madison

WILLARD — At the beginning of her senior season, Sydni Clever loved hitting fly balls at the plate.

Besides, who doesn't love watching the ball sail over the fence for a home run?

But midway through the year, she was asked to start hitting the ball on the ground so she could utilize her speed to get on base and make things happen. In Tuesday's 3-2 Division II district semifinal win over Madison, Clever did just that.

With the score tied 2-2, Clever stepped to the plate with two outs in the bottom of the sixth with Jillian Morr standing on third base just itching to score the go-ahead run. Clever hit a decent ground ball to short and beat the throw at first for the infield single, scoring Morr and essentially giving Lady Lex the victory and punching their ticket to the district championship game at 5 p.m. Friday.

Lexington will play Clear Fork, a 6-0 winner over Bellevue in Tuesday's second game, for a spot in the regional semifinals.

While it was a tense moment, Lexington coach Todd Galownia was nice and calm from his coaching box at third base with his senior centerfielder at the plate.

"I had all the confidence in the world," Galownia said. "We have been talking all year about how she likes to hit the fly ball and how she needs to stop hitting those and use her speed to get on base. Their shortstop was a little deep, so I felt confident Sydni could get something on the ground and make something happen. And she did."

Clever wasn't as calm, but she did take a simple approach to the plate. She didn't put pressure on herself to rip a line drive to the outfield or blast a home run. It was as simple as just putting the bat on the ball and using her legs.

"Hit the ball," Clever said. "Just hit the ball, throw my hands at it and see what happens. If I could just hit it on the ground, I could try and leg it out, and that is what coach has been telling me all year. He believes I am quick enough to leg out anything, so I just put my head down and ran."

Madison struck first when Reagan Hayes delivered a sacrifice fly to right to score Bri Bowles, who made a slick slide at the plate to avoid the tag in the fourth. Lex answered right back with Kaylie Eichorn's sac fly to left, scoring Morr to even things up at 1-1.

Later in the fourth, Emily Winters drove in Eyan Underwood on a groundout to second to give Lex the lead. Madison then tied it in the fifth when Oliva Schulz delivered an RBI single to left, scoring Emily Nolan.

And that all led to Clever's hustle play to win it.

It was Lexington's third win over Madison in the last seven days.

"We knew the third time through wasn't going to be easy," Galownia said. "Bailey (Lyons) pitched her tail off and kept us off balance. Beating a team three times is never easy."

Clever said the rivalry with Madison is one she always enjoyed playing in no matter the sport.

"Madison and Lex have always been a big rivalry in every sport, and being able to beat them three times during our senior season is amazing," she said. "All of the work we put in over the last four seasons — the running, the throwing up, all the laying on the ground from exhaustion — has led to this. We couldn't be more proud."

The Rams had a chance in the seventh with two on and one out and the heart of the batting order coming up, but Lexington's Jillian Bammann slammed the door on any potential rally by inducing two weak pop outs to end the game.

"We had first and second with one out and our two best hitters coming up," Madison coach Tim Niswander said. "You can't ask for a whole lot more. We were in a good spot, but Jillian made some great pitches and she got us.

"She pitched a great game all night long, and I think Bailey pitched a great game. It was a street fight and there is no other way to describe it. These two teams battled. It was a great high school softball game."

Bammann worked all seven innings, allowing two runs on six hits with nine strikeouts, but the two biggest outs came when the Rams were threatening.

"She did phenomenally," Galownia said. "We knew we had 9-1-2 coming up and we really wanted to get those first two, but the leadoff got on and the order rolled into their power hitters. Fortunately, she kept them off balance and got big outs. We didn't allow a home run to them all week and that is a feat."

Nolan led the Rams with two hits while Kyleigh Reiter, Schulz, Bri Bowles and Emma Stankovich had one apiece. All of them were singles, so Brammann limited the big plays. The Rams struck out looking five times.

"We had one error but it didn't hurt us," Niswander said. "We played solid defensively, but we just watched way too many strikes go by at the plate — early and late in the count. That hurt us."

Lyons pitched well, allowing three runs, one earned, on seven hits with four strikeouts.

Madison (12-11) loses three seniors in Lyons, the career-home run queen, Reagan Hayes, a four-year letterwinner, and Aubrey Hoffman, a utility player who was always team-first. Despite the losses, Niswander expects big things from his team next season.

"We lose two starters," Niswander said. "Bailey is pretty good and Reagan is pretty good. So they will definitely be missed. We have a really good sophomore pitcher in Layla Azmoun, Bri Bowles will be a senior next year and will do some pitching and we have an incoming freshman who we expect to be pretty good all around. The expectations will not change."

Morr and Clever led Lexington with two hits apiece while Bammann, Eichorn and Winters each had one. Eichorn, Clever and Winters each had one RBI.

When asked the last time his program played in a district championship game, Galownia had no idea. But he did know when he took over four years ago the group of seven seniors could achieve something special. And it did by putting together its second consecutive 20-win season.

"When I came over here from Galion after going to regionals year after year, everyone thought I was nuts," Galownia said. "I came in with a bunch of freshmen and six wins in the previous three years combined. I knew how special this group was going to be.

"This senior class now has 48 wins in its career after two 20-win seasons and a COVID year. They matured and the dugout is amazing. Great group."

So how did Lexington go from six wins in three years to back-to-back 20-win seasons?

"They love each other," Galownia said. "They play for each other. A lot of players on teams will go out and be individuals and this group isn't like that at all. They play for each other. Our dugout has kids who have only played a couple of innings here or there. We have rolled with the same nine for most of the season, but those kids make it the loudest dugout around. They have their props and really care for their teammates."

Clever agreed.

"We have all been playing forever and the family aspect within the team is insane," Clever said. "We all play for each other instead of ourselves. We always want to play for the name on the front and not for the name on the back. The family mentality is what makes this team so special. It is such a great moment."

jfurr@gannett.com

740-244-9934

Twitter: @JakeFurr11

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Lexington will play Clear Fork on Friday for the district crown