Celina falls to Defiance

MILLER CITY - The Celina softball team looked ready to close out their Division II district semifinal against Defiance, leading 3-2 with three outs to go in the bottom of the seventh.

Celina got the first two out, but Defiance got the lead by scoring twice, including the game-winner on Josee Hale's RBI single to get the 4-3 win at Miller City High School.

The game also will count as a Western Buckeye League contest since both teams still had to play due to rain outs.

Defiance (18-3) faces top-seeded Wapakoneta on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the district final. Celina ends its season at 16-5.

"Fortunately, we were the home team today," Defiance coach Dennis Parrish said. "We're down one and come back. Great win for our girls. That's why they give you three outs. You play until that third out."

"We were able to get a little scrappy in the seventh inning and punch a run across," Celina coach Nicole Driggs said. "What we really needed to do is string those hits along to be able to get our whole momentum going. There were glimpses, but we really never got our full momentum going in our favor."

Celina looked sharp to start the game. Carly Post hit a first-inning solo home run and then Melody Donovan led off the second with a solo shot to put Celina up 2-0. From the third inning on, Defiance pitcher Brooklyn Miller held Celina to three hits and two walks.

"She's been doing that all year," Parrish said of his senior pitcher. "It was a good old fashioned WBL battle tonight."

Donovan shut down Defiance for the first three innings, scattering four hits. In the fourth, though, errors started to pile up. With one out, Teya Castillo reached on a bad throw. Alexis Kiessling went for the sacrifice bunt, but the throw to first was wild, allowing Castillo to score. Miller helped her own cause with a double to score Kiessling to tie the game.

Celina had a solid chance to score in the sixth with Callie Vogel at second and Brooke Steinbrunner at first with just one out, but Miller struck out Melody Donovan and enticed Maria Donovan to ground to second to end the threat.

In the top of the seventh, though, Celina came through. With one out, Emily Keith was hit by a pitch. Steph Walter went for the sacrifice bunt, but the throw was off, moving Keith to third for Haley McGillvary, who grounded deep enough to second to allow Keith to score the go-ahead run.

In the bottom of the inning, Melody Donovan got things started off right with Caroline Turner flying out to center. Morgan Porter stepped in and hit what looked to be a routine pop fly, but a misplay allowed Porter to reach first. Emily Poling grounded back to Donovan, who threw to Post for the force at second, but the throw to first was not in time. Abbey Zedaker tied the game with a double to right center to tie the game. Hale stepped in and singled up the middle. Walter came up throwing for home, but Zedaker slid in safely to end the game.

"We had it right there in the last inning. It seemed like we were going to close this down," Driggs said. "The breaks didn't go our way in the seventh inning. You have to credit (Defiance) for buckling down and getting the job done this season. We struggled this season with errors on defense."

"Mel held her own and gave her heart out there. We had plenty of players who gave their hearts."

"They've battled all year," Parrish said of his squad. "That's a good Celina team. I think our two teams are like looking in a mirror. Top to bottom from their one-hitter to nine-hitter to our one-hitter to nine-hitter. Where do you get the outs at?"

Walter had two of the five Celina hits in the contest.

Turner and Hale had two hits each for Defiance.