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Coldwater's Kennedy Voskuhl applies the tag to Fort Recovery's Kayla Heitkamp during the championship game of the Strikeout Cancer Classic at Memorial Park in Coldwater on Saturday.
COLDWATER - The warm weather on Saturday made for a nice day of softball at the annual Strikeout Cancer Classic at Coldwater's Memorial Park, especially for the host Cavaliers.
After run-ruling Marion Local 10-0 in the semifinals, Coldwater faced MAC rival Fort Recovery, which overcame giving up a 10-1 lead to beat St. Marys 13-10 in the other semifinal.
The title game had big hits courtesy of Madison Wendel's home run, solid defense and a battle to the end as Claire Steinke singled home Avery Knapke in the seventh for the walk-off 4-3 victory.
"I told someone today Fort Recovery can go beat everyone," said Coldwater coach Kyle Ahrens, whose squad could see Fort Recovery for a third time if both teams reach the Division III district semifinals. "Fort Recovery came to win, too. Really proud of our kids."
Ava Doll earned her first varsity win for Coldwater on Saturday.
Freshman Ava Doll got the start in the circle for Coldwater and came up with her first varsity victory in going the distance. Doll scattered eight hits and walked seven batters, but the defense came up with spectacular plays. In the first inning, Fort Recovery's Sophie Pearson lined a shot to Kennedy Voskuhl at third, who snared the ball and touched the base for the unassisted double play. Two big plays came in the third as Kayla Heitkamp led off with a single. Emma Will singled to right, but Cav right fielder Avery Knapke threw a perfect strike to Voskuhl, who tagged Heitkamp trying to go to third. Hannah Ervin followed with a liner that tipped off Doll's glove and right to shortstop Madison Wendel, who stepped on second and threw to first for the 1-6-3 double play.
"When Ava pitches, we're not going to get a ton of strikeouts," said Ahrens. "Our kids really stepped up. We had a long break in between games and our defense in the second game was fantastic. Ava did a great job. She threw really well. Really proud of her."
The big defensive play was quickly converted into offense as Knapke led off the bottom of the third with a walk, then trotted home when Wendel belted a shot over the fence in center to make it 2-0 Cavaliers.
Fort Recovery, though, was up for the challenge. Pearson led off with a single and stole second. Maddie Guggenbiller lined a single to right as Pearson rounded third. Knapke came up with another big defensive play by gunning the ball to Claire Steinke at home, who applied the easy tag for the out. Kylie Post walked and converted the double steal with Guggenbiller. Doll got a pop-out for the second out, but pinch-hitter Lily Schwieterman walked to load the bases for Cali Wendel, who doubled home two runs to tie the game. Doll then got the third out.
Coldwater went ahead in the bottom of the fifth as Steinke reached on a two-out error. Jordan Hemmelgarn followed by reaching on another error to bring up Kendra Clune, who singled down the first base line to score Steinke to make it 3-2.
Doll survived an Indian threat in the sixth, leaving the bases loaded, but in the seventh Will walked. A Audra Bubp grounder went to short, but the throw to second for the force was late to put two one. Pearon loaded the bases by walking to bring up Guggenbiller, who grounded to Wendel, who turned the rare 6-5-3 double play, but Will scored to tie the game. Doll then enticed Post to pop out to second to end the threat.
Knapke led off the bottom of the seventh with a single. Britney Tebbe was relieved by Jenna Homan, who enticed Wendel into a grounder, but no play was able to be made for the fielder's choice to bring up Steinke, who belted a single into right to score Knapke for the walk-off.
"Some of our at-bats are really coming alive," said Ahrens. "That's a good sign going into tournament. Claire really stepped up today."
Marion Local 10, St. Marys 6
St. Marys catcher Renee Sweigart waits for the ball as Marion Local's Allison Dirksen comes home during the consolation game of the Strikeout Cancer Classic in Coldwater.
Five Flyers had two-hit games as they snapped a two-game losing skid.
St. Marys tied the game at 2-all in the top of the third before Marion plated three runs in the bottom of the inning. Emerson Bruns broke the tie with a single that scored Camryn Swain and then Ava Evers singled home Kailee Beyke and Bruns to make it 5-2. The Flyers added three more runs in the fourth and scored single runs in the fifth and sixth, holding off the Roughriders' attempt to stage another late-inning rally.
Allison Dirksen, Hannah Rindler, Bruns, Kelsey Bruggeman and Brooke Evers each had two hits for Marion Local.
Makenzie Henning and Renee Sweigart each had three hits for St. Marys with Sweigart driving in three runs.
Coldwater 10, Marion Local 0
(5 innings)
Wendel pitched a two-hitter with 10 strikeouts and Knapke hit a home run as the Cavaliers made quick work of the Flyers.
Coldwater scored two runs in the first, then added three in the third and another run in the fourth before triggering the run-rule in the bottom of the fifth with four runs, with the final two runs coming on a groundout that turned into an error that allowed Dana Zahn and Voskuhl to score.
Steinke went 3-for-3 with two RBI in the game. Wendel, Hemmelgarn and Rachel Schroyer each had two hits.
Fort Recovery 13, St. Marys 10
The Indians appeared to have the game in hand after scoring seven runs in the top of the fourth to take a 10-1 lead on the Roughriders, only to have St. Marys score five runs in the bottom of the fourth, then scored two runs each in the fifth and sixth inning with Ayden Young singling home Bailey Weigel and Kailey Smith to tie the game at 10-all.
In the top of the seventh, Bubp and Pearson reaced on one-out singles and Guggenbiller walked to bring up Post, who singled home two runs to put the Indians back in front. Ava Grisez followed with a single to score Guggenbiller for insurance.
Grisez had three hits and five other Indians had two hits.
Renee Sweigart went 3-for-4 with four RBI for St. Marys.
