DUNCAN FALLS ― During its unbeaten season, Licking Valley’s softball team has always preached about focusing on “one pitch, one game at a time.”
In a showdown of stellar sophomore pitchers with a state tournament spot at stake, it literally came down to one play at a time on May 30 at Philo Athletic Complex.
Always aggressive on the bases, Valley (26-0) took the extra one in the third inning, and it paid off. Freshman Emma Flowers scored all the way from second on an overthrow from the outfield and Emory Whisner made it stand up, outdueling Kendall Snider in a nail-biting 1-0 Division IV regional championship win.
“I was sending her the whole time, not stopping her,” said assistant and third base coach Nate Whisner, as the Panthers earned a state semifinal berth at 5:30 p.m. June 5 against Bryan (23-0) at Akron Firestone Stadium. “Make them make a play. Take a chance when you have two pitchers like that going. You might not get another one.”
Observed head coach Chad Dennis: “I hoped we would have a little more wiggle room, but you’re not not getting many opportunities, and that turned out to be the one. Emma has good wheels.”
It’s Valley’s first state berth since 2014, following 2013’s state title run. It will be the fifth state appearance overall.
Flowers and D’Neya Dennis drew one-out walks in the third. Then Whisner flew out to left field. As the outfielder tried to nab Flowers going back into second, the ball flew over the infielder’s head and rolled past another fielder into foul territory. A good throw to the plate appeared to be in time to nab her, but as the catcher wheeled to make a tag, it popped out of her glove.
“I just had to go as hard as I could, and hope and pray I would get there in time,” said Flowers, one of two freshman starters for Valley.
The rest of the game, Whisner and Snider took turns pitching out of threats. Not surprisingly, statistics were nearly as even as the game. Each struck out nine and walked two. Whisner threw 93 pitches, 66 for strikes in a three-hitter. Snider had 102 pitches, 72 for strikes in a four-hitter.
The Muskies (26-6) nearly rallied in the bottom of the seventh, as Addy Babcock and Ava Miller led off with walks, the only ones issued by Whisner. Kinley Porter popped out to first and Cora Dever bounced to third, putting the tying and winning runs in scoring position. But another freshman, Madison Evans, was playing shallow in right field, and raced in to snag Morgan Harper’s blooper, setting off a water-soaked dog pile in the outfield.
“With two outs and ahead in the count, they’re just trying to put it in play,” Nate Whisner said. “So we moved her in because of that.”
Added Flowers: “We got wet, but it’s pretty good.”
Emory Whisner said she was extra pumped starting the seventh, maybe a little too much so.
“I had so much adrenaline going there at the end,” she said. “I had to take a deep breath, go one pitch at a time. Once I settled down, I was OK.”
Whisner dodged a pair of earlier one-out, runner at third base threats.
Estelle Matheney singled to center leading off the first, went to second on a wild pitch and to third on Bella Daniels’ sacrifice. But Whisner struck out Josilyn Stashonsky and Babcock.
In the fifth, Porter blooped a double to right and later took third. But Whisner fanned pinch hitter Delaney Bell and got Harper to roll out to first baseman Tori Baughman.
Snider also proved to be a great escape artist, four times leaving Valley runners in scoring position, as Chloe Cooperrider, Evans, Flowers and Abby Kochur all had singles and were able to move up. Trinity Moorehead pinch ran for Cooperrider and stole second.
“She’s really good,” Emory Whisner said of Snider. “She uses a low riseball and another one that goes higher. We knew it was going to be a battle, and we were ready and focused the whole time.”
Added coach Dennis: “We talked about laying off the riseball, and we didn’t do a very good job of it. It’s not going to get any easier with what we have ahead of us, but it definitely prepared us.”
That would be Bryan senior Thea Staten, a three-time All-Ohioan headed to North Carolina State. The Golden Bears rallied to beat Millbury Lake 3-2 in their regional final. They were state runnerup in 2024.
But the Panthers have a little time to enjoy this one, after being derailed at this point last year by eventual state champion Kenton Ridge, which will play in the other semifinal against Mogadore Field. The state title game is at 11 a.m. on June 7.
All-Ohio wrestler Addison Justice is Valley’s lone senior.
“It’s a different vibe. We were so bound together coming in, and we were really confident,” she said. “These girls are so much fun to be around. It’s a lot of laughing.”
The Panthers play with a maturity that belies their youth.
“When you’re so young, it comes down to fundamentals,” Emory Whisner said. “That’s a good reason for our success.”
Coach Dennis said his team will have to work on a different celebration.
“We actually practice those,” he said. “We had one for a district title, one for a regional title. We’ll have to prepare for the state. You have to envision it in your head, that you’re going to be able to celebrate.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Valley’s Whisner wins 1-0 duel with John Glenn’s Snider for state spot
Reporting by Dave Weidig, Newark Advocate / Newark Advocate
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
