“One person hits and then it just goes down the line,” said freshman shortstop Emily Poling, who delivered a three-run double in the clinching frame. “It’s a good feeling. It makes you more comfortable. It makes you settle in a little bit more. It makes you feel like you’ve got the game.”
Poling scored four runs and Kenzie Meyer pitched a four-hitter for fourth-seeded Ross (13-9), a state semifinalist in 2016.
Sixth-seeded Wilmington and the Rams will square off for a sectional championship at 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Kings.
“I feel good,” first-year Ross coach Anna Winters said. “We were a little shaky in the beginning of the season and had to find our groove. But I feel like we’re rising at the right time, so I’m really excited to see how the season ends for us.”
Blanchester, the No. 3 seed, certainly helped the visitors. The Wildcats (13-9) showed some resilience by erasing 1-0 and 3-1 deficits, but their defense faltered.
The Rams took a 5-3 lead in the fifth without a hit, scoring twice on three straight two-out errors. They sent 14 batters to the plate in the sixth, and Meyer went 1-2-3 through Blanchester in the bottom of the frame to end the contest.
“Ross is where they are for a reason,” Wildcats coach Jamey Grogg said. “We knew coming into it that they weren’t going to strike out much. We knew they were going to do their job and get balls in play and put a lot of pressure on our defense.
“It’s kind of been the way that this team’s played all year. We’ve had innings and moments where you make plays and go, ‘Wow, that was a fantastic play.’ And there’s other moments when the routine plays just seem to be not so routine.”
Madison Curless struck out four and walked two for the Blanchester, which totaled five errors. Curless walked Lauryn Emenaker with the bases loaded and gave up a three-run double to Adrianne Gleason in the sixth.
Meyer had seven strikeouts and three walks for Ross.
“We knew Blanchester would be a good team. They always have a pretty good program,” Winters said. “But we felt if we came out and did what we normally do, we would probably win. We didn’t hit early, and that’s been a struggle we’ve had all season. But hits are contagious. Once we got a couple hits, we just kept grooving.”
Ally Ivey doubled and drove in two runs for the Rams. Haley Grau and Faith Ohmer both doubled and singled, Emenaker scored three times, and Ohmer plated a run. Whitley Arno chipped in an RBI.
Poling is the lone freshman in Ross’ starting lineup. She hits third and raised her batting average to .375 on Friday.
“Every once in a while, it’s a little weight on your shoulders,” Poling said of her rookie status. “But everyone welcomes you with open arms. Being a Ramball softball player is second to none.”
The Wildcats got RBIs from Shelbie Rose, Hannah Mann and Sydney Scott. The team held a Senior Night ceremony after the game to honor Scott, Shayla Sicurella and Dakota Demitt.
“It’s the first winning season we’ve had in a couple years,” said Grogg, noting that Blanchester finished second behind Williamsburg in the Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference National Division. “Last year we got knocked out in the first round of the tournament, and this year we advanced to the second game. I’ve got a lot of experienced ballplayers coming back, and my expectations will be for a farther run next year.”
Ross 102-029—14-10-2
Blanchester 012-000—3-4-5
WP – Kenzie Meyer (12-9); LP – Madison Curless (13-7). Records: R 13-9, B 13-9
About the Author