Jonathan Alder’s Danielle Robbins reaches the plate for a run against Kenton Ridge during the Division II regional champoinship game. The Lady Pioneers will face Oak Harbor during Thursday’s state semifinal contest in Akron.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
—
JA pitcher Marlee Jacobs fires the ball toward the plate against Kenton Ridge. Jacobs will help lead the Lady Pioneers into the Division II state semifinals on Thursday against Oak Harbor.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
—
Riley Maginnis of Jonathan Alder puts the ball in play against Kenton Ridge. JA used a variety of players during its regional championship win over the Cougars.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Aleksei Pavloff)
—
The two schools have met before during the state football semifinals.
Now, Jonathan Alder and Oak Harbor will battle during a state semifinal softball game.
The Pioneers and Rockets tangled on the gridiron during the 2006 state semifinals.
That was the year Alder finished as the state runner-up to Youngstown Mooney.
Now, it’s the ladies’ turn as both schools captured regional diamond championships this past weekend.
Lady Pioneer head coach Dave McGrew was a man with much on his plate when he spoke to the Journal-Tribune late Tuesday morning.
He was working out logistics for the team’s travel to Akron, the location for the state tournament, and a dozen other administrative duties with which a head coach has to contend.
“Man, I’m doing everything except what we should be doing… which is working on softball,” he said.
The actual practice sessions for Thursday’s 12:30 p.m. game at Firestone Stadium were scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.
McGrew had not received a complete scouting report on the Rockets when he spoke to the newspaper.
“I know their pitcher (Reagan Schultz) is going to Kent State University, but as a shortstop,” said the Alder coach. “Glenn (JA assistant coach Widner) was working on a scouting report before Tuesday’s practice.”
Schultz has compiled a 20-2 record with an earned run average of 1.86.
She will face a Jonathan Alder squad led by second baseman Danielle Robbins, who has a .538 batting average.
Marlee Jacobs is hitting .480 and shortstop Evan Platfoot is hitting .390.
McGrew feels his squad can move the ball on Schultz.
“I think she’s hittable,” he said of the Oak Harbor hurler.
The Rockets are no slouches with the sticks as well.
Schultz has a team-leading .529 batting average with an on-base percentage of .588.
The pitcher also tops the squad’s charts with six home runs and 30 RBIs.
Oak Harbor, however, is not a one-trick pony with the bats.
Outfielder Emily Sommers is batting .438 with 27 ribbies, while outfielder-first baseman Porter Gregory has driven in 29 runs.
The Rockets, though, will themselves have to face a top-notch pitcher in Jacobs.
The Lady Pioneer senior is 23-1 on the season with an ERA of 0.91.
“I feel Marlee is capable of doing well against any batting order,” said McGrew.
“She moves the ball around very well and hits all four quadrants of the strike zone.”
Jacobs has seen her rise ball working of late and can keep batting orders off-balance by hitting the inside corner with her drop curve.
While the Ohio Dominican recruit has all the physical tools as a front-line pitcher, McGrew said there’s more to her makeup.
“Marlee has a phenomenal work ethic… she works on her craft year-round,” said the coach. “She’s just like Mady Watson (who also pitched JA to the state Final Four a few years ago) did.
“There are pitchers who think they can just work during the spring high school season and the summer travel schedule,” said McGrew. “That’s just not the case.
“A pitcher has to take the time and give the energy to perfect their work all year.”
Along with a potent batting order, solid defense and a first-rate pitcher, there is another component to the Lady Pioneers’ 2022 success.
“We’ve got a number of younger girls on the roster this year and they’ve grown up as the season has progressed,” said McGrew. “They are learning the team concept of high school softball.”
That was apparent this past Saturday when the Lady Pioneers defeated Central Buckeye Conference rival Kenton Ridge, 5-2, for the Division II regional championship.
McGrew used a number of players in situational scenarios to topple the Cougars on the diamond at Mason High School.
“It’s doesn’t matter if it means pinch-hitting or pinch-running for a starter,” said McGrew.
He mention as an example the use of pinch-hitters for starting first baseman Jaden Phelps.
The JA senior had hit .391 through 20 games, but was just coming off a back injury that made it painful for her to swing a bat.
McGrew used freshman pinch-hitter Anna Engle in Phelps’ place later in the game.
The Alder coach said there was no problem using Engle or another freshman Riley Maginnis at bat or youngster Mylaa Schilling as a pinch-runner.
“We’ll also give the bunt sign to any batter in any particular situation,” said McGrew. “These girls know we will do whatever it takes to move runners and score runs.”
The winner of Thursday’s Jonathan Alder-Oak Harbor game will return to Firestone Stadium on Saturday to play for the state championship.
The first pitch of the state title contest is scheduled for 10 a.m. on that day.
Either JA or Oak Harbor will face the winner of the other state semifinal (Heath or Wooster Triway) for the championship.
The Lady Bulldogs of Heath sport a 23-5 record.
Wooster Triway stands at 28-1.
Triway and Jonathan Alder finished first and second during the final Division III coaches state poll.
Heath was ranked sixth.
Oak Harbor was not ranked.