'We're young, but we're strong': Hillsdale softball ready for regionals

JEROMESVILLE — It's always been a sort of family affair for the Hillsdale softball program, and sophomore Mollie Goon knows that firsthand.

Goon, who has been one of the best hitters for coach Hannah Moore and the Falcons this season, has the bloodlines to prove why Hillsdale softball continues to thrive.

Her older sisters, Hallie and Sophie, both played softball at Hillsdale.

Hallie, a 2020 graduate, and her older sister Sophie were both members of the Falcons squad that captured the school's seventh state title in 2018, when Hillsdale shut out Strasburg-Franklin 5-0 at Firestone Stadium in Akron.

"They're home right now, actually, and they've just been telling me I need to keep my head clear and just have fun," Mollie Goon said. "That's the most important thing about this is having fun with your teammates because the seniors are some of my best friends. I'm focusing on having fun and just doing the best I can for them."

Hillsdale (21-3) is prepping this week for a Division IV regional semifinal game against Bristol (16-6) at 2 p.m. Wednesday at Baldwin Wallace University.

"Practicing this week, we're just focusing on having a tight defense because we know as we get farther in the tournament the hitting will get even harder and the team will get better, so we're just focusing on making those steps to get better," said Mollie Goon, adding the team's mixture of three seniors and talented underclassmen has been a winning combination.

"We're definitely a young team, but our seniors are really good leaders, and they make sure we know what to do in practice and how to act, and I think that makes us a little more mature. Even though we're underclassmen, we know what we should be doing and what we shouldn't be doing, and that helps us."

Seniors Lacey Fickes, Mackala Krichbaum and Brigette Morris all have guided the team this season.

"I try my best to bring as much leadership as I can, to try and cheer everyone on, try to be a good role model as I feel it's my job as a senior leader, and I've also been on varsity for three years," Fickes said. "It's hard when you only have three seniors, and I think we have 10 freshmen [in the program, four on varsity] but they listen. They're hardworking. We're young, but we're strong.

“We have a lot of travel ball girls who have played together, but everyone works hard, and we all come together when it's time to win."

That was never more true than when Hillsdale trailed Loudonville 3-2 in the district title game but rallied for four runs in the sixth inning for a 6-3 win.

"Coach Hannah really pushes us in practice,” Fickes said. “We do situations a lot, so I feel that just prepares us. And we have some good hitters. Mollie and Belle [Dalton] really stepped it up, and Taylor [Morgan] got a big hit when we needed it. Last year, we lost early in the tournament [7-5 to Mogadore in the district semis], which was really hard, so we know we have to work even harder because we are younger."

Dalton, the team's best hitter this season, said the Falcons are concentrating on tweaking their individual games.

"I think we're going to be working on all of the fundamentals and get through as much as we can to prepare ourselves," said Dalton, who knocked in the go-ahead run against Loudonville with a two-out single to center. "I think there was a little bit of pressure, but I think pressure really helps me in situations like that. I can always get a clutch hit. When there's a certain amount of pressure on me, it's such a good pressure, and I feel like I do so much better.

"That's why when I have two strikes on me, I really battle it and really focus on how to battle. And I think our history is really going to help push us through as many games as we can get through and, hopefully, make it to state, which is always everyone's goal."

Hillsdale has a history of playing Bristol, which defeated McDonald 2-1 in the North Jackson District title game behind the pitching of senior Jaylyn Mullenax, who struck out 11 and allowed five hits.

The Panthers, coached by Alisha Kugler, faced the Falcons in regional semifinal play in 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Morgan has been one of the best pitchers in the Ashland area all season and will be counted on to keep Bristol at bay.

"We're trying to keep our minds open because we don't know how good they are but try to stay as calm as possible, staying positive and optimistic," Morgan said. "We're putting the work in, and coach always wants us to try and do our best, and she'll be proud of us.

"We need to focus on the little things, too, like communicating mental parts, not just the actual fielding and hitting. This is the youngest team I've played on because I didn't get a freshman season [due to COVID] and last year we had eight seniors, but I think we all mix in very well and we've gotten better through the year. Our goal is to get better every year, make progress, go as far as possible, and we've just got to keep producing defensively and offensively."

The way the Falcons have continued to strive to put in the work to get better and play for each other is paying off at the most important time, according to Moore.

"Their energy is so positive, and they are wanting just to be competitors all of the time,” she said. “Whether they're up by two runs or up by eight runs, they're wanting to keep putting pressure on as much as possible.

“That's kind of what we've worked on at the end of the season — keep pushing putting the runs on, putting the pressure on the other team, no matter who they are, and that's really kind of started to show and blossom in this leadership."

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Hillsdale softball ready to face Bristol in regional semis