Talawanda softball falls in extra innings
In the second-straight matchup between the Talawanda and Ross High School softball teams, the Brave lost 6-4 at home in extra innings on April 10.
This story was produced by Miami University journalism student Kethan Babu in partnership with the Oxford Free Press.
In the second-straight matchup between the Talawanda and Ross High School softball teams, the Brave lost 6-4 at home in extra innings on April 10.
The back-to-back meetings between the two longtime rivals served as the backdrop for Talawanda softball’s debut in the Southwestern Buckeye League (SWBL). The Brave took the first game 14-3 on the road April 8 and welcomed the Rams in Oxford two days later.
The second game proved to be both an offensive shootout and a defensive test of wills.
Talawanda scored the first runs of the game with two in the bottom of the second inning, but the lead would be short-lived after a four-run inning for the Rams. The Brave evened the score 4-4 with runs in the third and fifth innings.
Both teams had players on bases several times but were unable to convert, and neither could outscore the other after the seventh inning. Ross ultimately scored two runs and kept the Brave from scoring in the eighth inning to claim its first win in SWBL play.
“That’s a very talented team over there,” Talawanda head coach Scott Davie said. “We knew they would give us a great fight, and they did. I thought our girls did a really good job pushing through some adversity. We had opportunities to win, they had opportunities to win; (it was) a good high school softball game.”
Davie sent out three pitchers, with freshman Allie McMickle starting the game before eventually turning the ball over to freshman Bea Yerigan and later senior Kaylee Griffin.
“I think the team did really well on staying up in the dugout,” Griffin said. “Just the communication and picking each other up. I think we can definitely do better on more situational stuff. We have been working on that at practice, but I think that’s something we can improve on.”
Talawanda’s overall record stands at 10-3 and 1-1 in conference play. The Brave return to action on April 15, hosting Monroe High School.
