GRANVILLE ― It was as if Granville’s softball team bottled a season’s worth of frustration and uncorked it during one big inning.
An eight-run eruption in the sixth capped a comeback from a 7-0 deficit as the Blue Aces celebrated senior night by stunning visiting Newark Catholic 10-8 in a Licking County League crossover game on May 6.
“This is a team that, top to bottom, has scuffled,” coach Brooke Warehime admitted after Granville improved to 10-15, 4-11. “They’ve been frustrated with themselves, frustrated with the coaches because they’ve expected a lot more. It’s like we’ve created our own bad luck, not played well or done the things we’re capable of. This game was not just about confidence. I watched them pull for each other, and realize if the first player does well, they all do well.”
The road back began in the fifth, when Avary King, a four-year starter and one of five seniors honored, had a sacrifice fly to score Carly Wollenberg, and Aubrey Lackey singled, stole second and scored on a dropped popup, narrowing the gap to 7-2.
Wollenberg, batting ninth, both started and ended the hit parade that saw Granville send 13 to the plate in the sixth, bunching seven hits with a key throwing error.
Seniors Alysa Stephens and Hailey Dehnel led off with singles off Aly Rothweiler, bringing on Veronica Bailey, who just pitched a perfect game against Heath.
Wollenberg greeted her with an RBI single, then Lackey blooped a hit, loading the bases. A throwing error on a forceout at the plate sent two runs home, then King and winning pitcher Jillian Brownfield had run-scoring hits, and when senior Sydney Cottrill came home on a wild pitch, the Blue Aces suddenly led 8-7. Wollenberg then ripped a two-run single.
Avery Sullivan’s double and Bailey’s two-out single cut it to 10-8, before Brownfield finished off 3⅔ innings of one-run, three-hit softball in relief of freshman starter Kaylee Watkins.
“Everyone played a part, top to bottom, seniors and freshmen,” said King, who went 3 for 3. “The ninth hitter got it going for us. The biggest thing was communication with each other. She (Bailey) is obviously very good, but we weren’t intimidated. Carly told Aubrey to look outside for the curveball, then Aubrey told me. We layed off the riseball and looked for that spot.”
King said the team’s support of Brownfield in the circle was also big.
“It can be intimidating, coming in and facing a good lineup,” she said. “The infield was behind her, constantly encouraging her. It took the heat off of her.”
Said Warehime: “Jillian came in and was really strong in relief of our freshman, who has had to pitch a lot due to injury and is getting worn down. She (Brownfield) does whatever we ask her to do, and earlier, she made a great catch in left field and I think took away a home run.”
NC (14-8, 8-7) used a five-run second to build its lead as Sullivan doubled, Ela Valenzuela had an RBI single, two runs scored on a dropped fly ball, Joanna Bailey followed with a run-scoring double and Brooklyn Kurtz added an RBI hit. In the fourth Veronica Bailey doubled and scored on a throwing error, and Mackenzie Gebhart drew a bases-loaded walk.
“I don’t think we played bad,” said Green Wave coach Mike Justice. “We just stopped hitting, and they started hitting. Hitting is contangious, and they were finding gaps everywhere. We focused on their best hitters, but even their seven, eight and nine hitters were getting on. You have to play for seven innings, and at the end of the day, you learn from it and move on.”
Wollenberg also had three hits, while Lackey, Cottrill, Brownfield and Stephens all had two apiece in the winning 15-hit attack. Veronica Bailey and Kurtz had three hits each for NC while Sullivan added two, with Veronica and Joanna Bailey and Sullivan all scoring two runs.
Brownfield said the Blue Aces’ mindset played a major role in the rally.
“Everyone rallied together at the end and had each other’s back,” the junior said. “We were able to bring everyone up and take away from what was a negative approach for some. Playing through all those losses together, that pain pushed us really hard to win for our seniors. I really like our seniors and their leadership.”
Observed Warehime: “To see this group get down 7-0 and hold the line, keep fighting back with the energy they had, means a lot. They buckled down on defense and played cleanly. Hopefully, seeing the seniors contributing and zeroing in gets us going.”
Granville will get a boost when sophomore Josie Opfer, 2-2 in the circle before getting hurt, is cleared to pitch in a couple of days. She also is batting .318 and hit a home run in her return.
The ninth-seeded Blue Aces open Division III tournament play May 14 at fifth seed Bishop Hartley (10-9), with the winner playing at second seed Bexley (17-8) on May 18 in the district semifinals.
“We beat Hartley 8-7 early in the season,” Warehime said. “We have the path to get to a district final, if we play well.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Hits keep coming for Granville softball in huge comeback against NC
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
