HANOVER ― Talent has always run deep for Licking County League softball, and the all-star game on July 15 at Licking Valley further drove that point home.
Newark Catholic’s Veronica Bailey, who led the Green Wave to the Division VII regional finals and is headed to Walsh University, was named MVP for her team. The other MVP, Lakewood’s Allie Stimmel, still has three years remaining in her high school career.
“I just wanted to have fun and try to play hard,” said Bailey, who pitched four innings and got the win, had two hits and knocked in a run as her team won the game 6-4. “I had fun with everyone, especially getting to play with those I had played against for a long time. I’m excited to see what happens (in the LCL) next year.”
Stimmel, who pitched Lakewood to a Division I district championship as a freshman, proved she belongs among the league’s elite. She went 3 for 3 in the game with an RBI double and also went three innings in the circle.
Of the 24 who played in the game, 18 will return next year after a season that saw five LCL teams win district championships. Licking Valley went on to the state finals, NC and Johnstown reached the Elite 8, and Lakewood and Mount Vernon advanced to the Sweet 16.
Granville catcher Aubrey Lackey, who hit a school-record 18 home runs as a sophomore and also just missed the school RBI record, actually helped secure her team’s all-star win with a diving stop at second base and throw to first with the tying runs on. Her exuberance was understandable.
“I’ve played first base this summer and had to get used to it, but I’ve never played second base,” she said. “To do that in my first time there, it was so much fun. I got to know everyone and make friends with players on the other teams. Just playing against the great competition in this league, it will be fun to see our growth as players for next season.”
NC coach Mike Justice organized the game and tried to spice it up. He brought back former LCL stars as coaches of the teams. Ally Ernsberger (Granville and now Dakota Wesleyan) and her former Blue Ace teammate Emily Travis, now at Muskingum, teamed with Alissa West (Licking Heights and Bryant) to lead the winning club. Macy Walters (Johnstown and Akron), Kami Diaz (NC and Youngstown State) and Avery Nagel (NC) guided the other team.
Justice also instituted a few “Banana Ball” rules in the early innings that highlight aggressive baserunning, and it actually helped the winners grab an early 5-0 lead, as all five came from players who walked with Bailey owning the only RBI hit.
The other club fought back. Hayley Stout of Licking Heights had an RBI groundout, NC’s Brooklyn Kurtz singled in Johnstown’s Addy Zak who had doubled off the fence, Stimmel had her run-scoring double and eventually came home on a groundout by Granville’s Sydney Cottrill. But behind Bailey and Lakewood’s Ashlyn Carder in the circle, the winners held on. Bailey induced a popup with two runners on and Watkins Memorial’s Ava Bailey threw a runner out stealing.
Kurtz also doubled as the losing team out hit the winners 10-4.
Johnstown’s Abigail Wood teamed with Stimmel for their team’s pitching, and in a rare matchup against twin sister Brooklyn, she got her to pop out on a bunt. Brooklyn later had a double, off Stimmel.
Bailey got to face twin sister Joanna twice, getting her to line out to center the first time, but Joanna evened the score later with a double. She will attend Marietta College.
“There was no tiebreaker,” Veronica said, kind of disappointingly. “We’re really competitive. Ever since our younger days, everything has been competition. But it’s made each other better.”
Like the Baileys, Zak will continue her career collegiately, joining Travis at Muskingum. But she was still thinking about Johnstown.
“This was really cool,” she said. “I got to put on this uniform one last time, and it’s a special program. Playing with them and in this league, it’s made me better. And our coach made our schedule tough so it would make the team better. They’ll continue to do great.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: LCL all-star softball celebrates season with an eye on bright future
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate | USA TODAY Network
