Sydney Wade of Marysville slides into third with a triple Tuesday evening against Dublin Coffman. Wade also homered and drove in four runs during the Lady Monarchs’ 9-2 victory.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Tim Miller)
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Marysville High School softball boss Jennifer Segner-Maxwell has a situation with her team that a lot of other coaches would love to have.
“We have so many talented players that at times it’s tough to make out a lineup,” she said. “I told the umpire that tonight was my eighth different lineup of the year.”
The roster gives the MHS coaching staff the luxury of depth. If someone is slumping a bit, there’s always another player ready to step up into action.
Senior Sydney Wade was that player Tuesday evening when she drove in four runs during MHS’ 9-2 victory over Dublin Coffman.
In doing so, she helped the Lady Monarchs avenge an earlier loss to the Shamrocks and secure at least a share of the Ohio Capital Conference’s Central Division title.
MHS (17-6 overall) leads the division at 8-1 with one game to play in the conference.
Upper Arlington is second at 7-2, while Coffman slipped to 6-3.
The Lady Shamrocks lost a late game to Central Crossing on Monday, while MHS was toppling UA.
Wade came off the bench in the fourth inning and drilled a two-run homer to left field that broke a 2-2 stalemate.
She plated two more runs in the home half of the sixth with a triple.
Wade said she wasn’t really thinking about taking the ball deep when she went to the plate in the fourth.
“I was just wanting to get on base,” she said.
Leah Potter began the inning with a base hit for Marysville.
Abby Gindlesberger reached safely on a fielder’s choice when Potter was forced out at second.
Jewely Livingston followed suit and was perched on first base when Wade came to the plate.
Dublin southpaw pitcher Kelsi Anderson ran the count to 2-1 before delivering her next pitch.
“It was a fastball right down the middle,” said Wade. “It really looked beautiful and I got it on the sweet spot.
“I knew it was going out the minute I hit it.”
The Lady Monarchs got on the board first, thanks in part to Gindlesberger’s work in the pitching circle.
The freshman retired Coffman in order during the first two innings.
Marysville gave her a 1-0 lead in the home half of the first.
Hanna Moffett doubled with one out, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on Ashley Dunn’s sacrifice fly.
Coffman tied the game in the third.
Allie Kelly led off with a double and scored on a fielder’s choice/error.
The Lady Monarchs regained a 2-1 edge in their half of the third when Tayler Clabaugh singled, advanced on a wild pitch and raced home when Emily Daniel clubbed a double.
The Shamrocks tied the game at 2-all with a run in the visitors’ portion of the fourth.
Rylee Anspach drilled a lead-off two-bagger and later scored on Sophia Maggs’ one-out single.
Wade’s dinger broke the deadlock in the bottom of the fourth and the Lady Monarchs were never threatened the rest of the game.
Marysville added to its lead with two down in the fifth.
Dunn pushed a single through the Coffman infield and scored on Jaynn Young’s double for a 5-2 lead.
The Lady Monarchs left little doubt as to the outcome when they added insult to injury by plating four runs in the sixth.
Gindlesberer singled and advanced to third on Livingston’s double.
They both scored on Wade’s triple.
A base hit by Claybaugh brought Wade home for an 8-2 advantage.
Claybaugh moved up a base on another wild pitch and went to third on Daniel’s single.
Claybaugh gave MHS its final run by racing home when Moffett was safe on a fielder’s choice.
Gindlesberger, after yielding runs in the third and fourth, stranded three Coffman runners during the fifth and sixth innings.
She got right to work in the top of the seventh by inducing a ground ball out to Dunn at second base.
Haley Newland beat out a bunt single, but Wade snared a fly ball in right field for the second out.
Gindlesberger issued a walk to Caroline Stukey to put runners at first and second.
A ground ball hit by Anspach went toward third base.
Potter, who mans the hot corner, fielded the ball and stepped on the bag to end the game.
The Lady Monarchs roughed up Anderson for 12 hits, while Gindlesberger scattered six to the Shamrocks.
The MHS hurler struck out two and walked one.
“Abby pitched a very good game and we hit the ball better with people on base tonight,” said Segner-Maxwell.
The Lady Monarchs will have the opportunity to wrap up the outright Central Division crown when they host Hilliard Davidson today.
DC 001 100 0-2 6 0
MHS 101 214 x-9 12 1
WP: Gindlesberger
LP: Anderson
The MHS jayvees dropped a 12-2 verdict to Coffman. Bre Ortman, Meghan McKinney and Calla Best had two hits.
for MHS.