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Celina catcher Lucy Piper tags out Shawnee's Emma Stump after a throw from centerfielder Sarah Giesige during Tuesday's Division II softball sectional game at Jim Hoess Field. The Bulldogs defeated the Indians 10-0 in five innings.
CELINA - A day after suffering a shutout loss to Defiance in regular season Western Buckeye League softball play, Celina got the postseason underway by turning the tables on another WBL foe.
The Bulldogs put their first eight batters on base and plated six runs in the bottom of the first, which gave Samantha Jenkins plenty of help in pitching a three-hit shutout in Celina's 10-0, five-inning win over Shawnee in the Division II sectional opener at Jim Hoess Field.
Celina (9-12) travels to top-seeded Bryan on Friday for the sectional final.
The first time the teams met, Celina needed a seven-run sixth inning to rally to beat the Indians 12-5 in Shawnee Township. This time, Celina got the scoring out of the way early.
Celina's Colbie Kinney makes a catch against Shawnee on Tuesday at Jim Hoess Field.
Colbie Kinney led off by reaching on an error. Sarah Giesige bunted, but Shawnee's attempt to get Kinney at third was not in time, putting runners on the corner for Payton Bertke, who was plunked by a Haylee Wurm pitch to load the bases. Jenkins drew a walk to score Kinney, then Lucy Piper singled home two more runs to make it 3-0.
After Carley Hathaway was hit by a pitch to load the bases again, Addie Melson came in from second base to take over pitching. Hailey Shaffer greeted Melson with an RBI single, and Paige Kuehne followed with another RBI single with Hathaway coming home on an error before Melson got the first out of the inning and then got out of further danger.
"We talk about patience - when we played them at Shawnee, we were swinging at pitches that were pitchers' pitches instead of hitters' pitches," said Celina coach Jason Tribolet. "We talked about being aggressive, but smart aggressive. I think they did a great job."
Melson kept Celina scoreless in the second inning before the Bulldogs got two more runs in the third when Jenkins singled home Paige Hart and Giesige.
After a scoreless fourth, Celina finally applied the coup de grâce in the bottom of the fifth as Kinney led off with a double. Bertke followed with an RBI single and Jenkins was intentionally walked to bring up Piper with the bases loaded. Piper blooped a fly over the third base bag, where shortstop Anna Menke made a nice diving catch, but Giesige paid attention, tagged up and scooted home for the game-ender.
Celina's Samantha Jenkins pitched a three-hit shutout to earn the win.
Jenkins was sharp enough to keep the Indians off the board with the Bulldogs' defense stepping up. In the top of the first with Addie Neth at second and Wurm at first, Menke hit a two-out single to center. Courtesy runner Emma Stump came around for home, but Giesige fired a perfect throw to home, where Piper applied the tag for the out to end the inning.
"I joked with (Giesige) because I work with the outfielders, we go through that simulation, the 'scoop-and-shoot,' " said Tribolet. "I told her it was going to pay off, just didn't say when."
After the first, Jenkins walked two batters - both in the second - and allowed a lead-off single in the top of the fifth, but grabbed a pop-up for the final out.
"Sam has come on late in the year," said Tribolet. "She's throwing very well. She didn't have her best stuff, but she battled through it. We talk about grit and determination and she definitely exhibited that, and her teammates backed her up. Couldn't ask for a whole lot more."
