LEES CREEK – Sierra Christian outdueled Maddie Curless and East Clinton blanked Blanchester 2-0 Wednesday in a Division III sectional softball game at ECHS.
“Both pitchers threw extremely well and both defenses made some outstanding plays,” BHS coach Jamey Grogg said.
The Lady Astros will play 5 p.m. Monday against Brookville at a site to be determined.
East Clinton is 12-7 on the year. Blanchester ends its season at 8-12.
The Lady Astros scored both of their runs in the first inning. With one out, Makayla Smith and Mackenzie Campbell had back to back singles. Kayla Hall walked to load the bases.
The first run scored on a BHS fielding error then Kate Durbin drilled one to deep centerfield for a sacrifice fly that made it 2-0.
From there, it was all pitching and defense. Christian kept things quiet for the most part but when Blanchester threatened the EC defense was up to the task.
“I have to give their pitcher and defense credit,”said Grogg. “We hit the ball hard most of the night, but it was always right to someone and they made the defensive plays they needed to make.”
In the sixth inning, the Ladycats loaded the bases with no outs. On back to back plays, East Clinton threw out runners at home plate.
“Our defense came up huge,” EC assistant coach Jeanne Brightman said.
Grogg concluded, “It was the last game for our seven seniors – Maddie Curless, who ended her career as the all-time innings pitched leader in Blanchester softball history with 485.1 innings, Jay Dalton, Katy Henry, Hannah Mann, Makenzie Phillips, Shelbie Rose and Lilly Tedrick. These girls have dedicated and committed to our softball program for the last four years and I am grateful for all they did to help make our program better. They are an outstanding group of young ladies and they will greatly missed next season.”
SUMMARY
May 9 2018
Div III Sectional
@East Clinton High School
East Clinton 2 Blanchester 0
BL 000-000-0…..0-2-1
EC 200-000-0…..2-4-0
(0) BLANCHESTER (ab-r-h-rbi) Patton 2-0-1-0 Abney 2-0-1-0 Dalton 3-0-0-0 Curless 3-0-0-0 Rose 3-0-0-0 Mann 2-0-0-0 Oberle 3-0-0-0 Phillips 3-0-0-0 Shank 2-0-1-0 Tangonan 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 23-0-2-0
(2) EAST CLINTON (ab-r-h-rbi) Boeckmann 2-0-1-0 Smith 3-1-2-0 Campbell 3-1-1-0 Hall 2-0-0-0 Boggs 3-0-0-0 Durbin 2-0-0-1 Dunn 2-0-0-0 Cooper 1-0-0-0 Beener 2-0-0-0 stoops 2-0-0-0 Christian 0-0-0-0. TOTALS 22-2-4-1
HBP: By Christian (Patton, Mann)
PITCHING IP-H-R-ER-BB-SO
Blanchester
Curless (L) 6-4-2-0-2-5
East Clinton
Christian (W) 7-2-0-0-1-4
