Lady Monarch shortstop Sienna Hutchins dives for the ball that scoots into the outfield for a base hit on Saturday. MHS’ season came to an end with an extra-inning setback to Teays Valley during the Division I district title game played at Pickerington Central High School.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
—
Sienna Hutchins’ grand-slam homer in the bottom of the sixth inning gave Marysville’s softball squad new life.
The two runs Teays Valley plated in the visitors’ portion of the seventh and eighth innings, however, ended the Lady Monarchs’ season with an 8-7 loss on Saturday during the Division I district title game.
Hutchins’ round-tripper erased a 6-3 lead the seventh-seeded Vikings held as action moved into MHS’ portion of the sixth.
The slam elevated the sixth-seeded Marysville squad to a 7-6 edge.
Teays Valley scored once in the top of the seventh to send the game into extra innings at Pickerington Central High School.
The winning run in the eighth prevented the Lady Monarchs from a three-peat as district champs.
The district runner-up finish, however, marked a huge comeback for an MHS outfit (18-10) that started the campaign at 2-6.
“This team came a long way this season,” said head coach Jennifer Segner-Maxwell. “The girls battled and played like a team all year.”
One of the reasons for MHS’ turnaround was Hutchins’ return to the lineup at shortstop.
“Sienna missed the first two-and-a-half weeks with a shoulder injury,” said Segner-Maxwell. “She came back, but really played injured the rest of the season.”
“My teammates and coaches made me want to come back,” said the junior who has already committed to playing softball at Bowling Green State University. “I wanted to come back and play with our seniors.”
Those fourth-year players were Maya Segner, Camryn Harbold, Sydney Calhoon, AJ McAdow, Kallie Schweinfurth, Ally Clementz, Abby Strahm and Morgan Nevers.
Marysville plated the game’s first run in the bottom of the third.
With two down, Segner connected on a solo homer off Vikings’ pitcher Olivia Lawrentz.
A strikeout ended Marysville’s half of the frame.
Teays Valley roughed up Monarch starting pitcher Josie Bumgarner for three scores in the top of the fourth.
Amy DeWeese led off with a single and went to second on a fielder’s choice out.
She took third in the same manner and scored when Abby Revalee lined a base hit off Bumgarner’s glove.
Avery Hamm’s single put runners at first and second.
Avery Stratton’s base hit then drove in a run.
At that point, Brooklyn Gamby came in to pitch for Marysville.
Teays Valley took a 3-1 lead on a two-out double from Micah Mann.
Gamby induced a ground ball to prevent further damage.
The Vikings climbed to a 4-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Bumgarner returned to the circle.
She was greeted by a lead-off solo dinger from Morgan Lantrell.
Bumgarner got the next three batters out to put MHS back at the plate.
The Lady Monarchs began chipping away at their deficit with a couple of scores in the bottom of the fifth.
With one down, pinch-hitter Gwen Dyal slid safely into second with a double.
After a strikeout, Segner singled and advanced to second on the throw from the outfield.
Ella Wood doubled in both runners, cutting MHS’ gap to 4-3.
At that point, the Vikings brought in Stratton to take over in the pitching circle.
She induced a fly ball out to end the inning.
Teays Valley padded its advantage to 6-3 with two scores in the top of the sixth.
Bumgarner coaxed fly balls for the first two outs of the frame.
Stratton singled and raced all the way home on a double by Mann.
A single from Lawrentz and an ensuing MHS fielding miscue gave the Vikings their sixth run of the day.
Bumgarner intentionally walked Lantrell, who had homered during her previous at-bat.
The Monarch pitcher wiggled out of further trouble with a ground ball for the third out.
The never-say-die Lady Monarchs weren’t going to go down without a fight.
As a matter of fact, it looked as though it would be their day once the sixth inning concluded.
With one out in the frame, Jaiden Hutchins singled.
Following a strikeout, Strahm legged out an infield single to put runners at first and second.
Catcher Lauren Mobley singled to load the bases and was replaced by courtesy runner Jillian Rausch.
That set the stage for Sienna Hutchins’ big blast.
Hutchins worked the count to 2-2.
She whipped her bat around on Stratton’s next offering and sent the ball screaming into the jet stream.
Once the sphere sailed over the outfield fence, a wild celebration was set off among Monarch Nation.
“I just felt I needed to put the ball in play,” Hutchins said after the game.
Marysville appeared ready to add to its 7-6 lead.
Segner singled and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Wood struck out, but reached base safely on a dropped third strike.
Segner went to third and Wood was replaced at first by pinch-runner Schweinfurth.
Stratton, though, managed to avoid further problems with a pop up that went for MHS’ third out.
The Vikings scored two runs in the top of the seventh, but one was disallowed and led to the ejection of a Teays Valley player.
Bumgarner issued a walk to Melissa Brumfield.
Izzy Sayre reached base on a fielder’s choice out.
Revealee doubled, putting runners at second and third.
The Lady Monarchs recorded an out on a fielder’s choice, but Sayre scored to tie the game at 7-7 on a throwing miscue to the plate.
Revalee also raced home on the play and slid in for an apparent 8-7 lead.
However, the umpire ruled she threw an elbow at Mobley, who was covering the plate.
The run was wiped off the books for interference and was also the third out.
Revalee was then tossed from the game.
With the game knotted at 7-all, Stratton put the Lady Monarchs down without much trouble in the home half of the seventh.
A solo homer by Stratton led off the eighth to give the Vikings an 8-7 edge.
Lawrentz doubled after a ground ball out.
Lantrell was once again intentionally walked to take away her home run potential.
Bumgarner got a fly ball and pop up for the final two outs.
A strikeout and grounder put Marysville down to its final out of the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Segner briefly kept the season alive with a base hit.
A strikeout, however, ended the contest.
Segner-Maxwell said she knew the game would be a hard-fought battle.
“We’ve had several games with Teays Valley over the years that turned out to be that way,” she said.
Although disappointed with the season-ending loss, the coach said, “we’re very proud of the way the girls played this season.”
TV 000 312 11-8 10 2
MHS 001 024 00-7 12 2
WP: Stratton
LP: Bumgarner