STRASBURG – One year after Conotton Valley claimed the Division VII district title over Strasburg-Franklin, the Tigers have flipped the script.
Last season, the Rockets defeated the Tigers as they totaled 19 hits, and pitcher Maddie Kelley limited Strasburg to only six hits.
This year, the Tigers showed how they’ve won a record 10 OHSAA championships, defeating the Rockets 4-1 on April 14.
“This was a big game for us,” Strasburg head coach Tom Spidell said. “We were going against the Eastern District Player of the Year (Maddie Kelley), and she pitched really good a year ago.
“I’m proud of this team for how they fought today.”
With the victory, the Tigers move to 10-2 and 6-0 in Inter-Valley Conference games; the Rockets fall to 6-4 and suffered their first IVC loss (5-1).
On the other side of the field, head coach Jeremy Bleininger said errors were where this game slipped away.
“You cannot make mistakes in games against a team like Strasburg,” he said. “The girls were able to keep an upbeat attitude in the dugout and fight to the end.”
Kelley ripped a double in the first inning, as Conotton Valley took an early 1-0 lead; however, in the bottom half senior Miley Reifenschneider smacked a two-run home run to retake the lead for Strasburg.
After both teams’ starting pitchers settled in, the game remained 2-1 until the fifth inning where the Tigers added some insurance with an RBI single and passed ball making the score, 4-1.
“The girls are not worried about individual stats, they are worried about getting better and winning,” Spidell said.
In the top of the seventh, the Rockets brought the tying run to the plate with runners on second and third with one out.
“These girls never gave up,” Bleininger said. “We fought to the very last swing of the bat.”
Reifenschneider forced a popout foul to end the comeback, sealing the victory.
“Everything did not go our way; everything wasn’t perfect, but they just continued to play,” Spidell said. “Everything with us is about the team and what we can do to get the victory.”
Spidell was pleased to see the way Reifschneider performed.
“She pitched a heck of a game, and just stayed right there despite the errors,” he said. “She just kept pitching and kept batting, and its just an example of how everyone on this team is.”
Reifenschneider pitched a complete game, striking out six batters and allowing two hits.
For Bleininger, this game is about fixing mistakes and challenging ourselves.
“If we clean up our mistakes, I think this is a completely different ball game,” he said. “These games are huge, and we want to play teams that are highly competitive, so we face Strasburg twice a year, and they’re great for getting us ready for a postseason run.”
In the other dugout, Spidell has told his team that he believes they have the best team in Division VII softball.
“We just have to go out prove this every day,” he said. “Being in these types of games get you ready for the tournament, and hopefully what is a long tournament run.”
Jshondel@usatodayco.com; X, JacoBShondeL
This article originally appeared on The Times-Reporter: Strasburg flips script a year after Conotton Valley dashed state hopes
Reporting by Jacob Shondel, The Times-Reporter / The Times-Reporter
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
