Walk this way

COLDWATER - In her two previous plate appearances, Celina walked Coldwater's Madison Wendel to prevent her from doing damage with her bat.

With two out, a tie ballgame and the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh, the Bulldogs had to pitch to her again.

She didn't need her bat again, drawing a walk to score Izzy Byer for the game-winner as the Cavaliers picked up a 4-3 softball win at Lady Cav Diamond.

"Give credit to Celina. They fought. It stinks that someone had to lose this one," said Coldwater coach Kyle Ahrens. "Both teams fought hard and both pitchers were going at it. Just fortunate we could come out on the good end of it."

The first six innings of the game shaped up as a pitchers' duel between Celina's Samantha Jenkins and Wendel. The teams played scoreless ball until the fifth, when Coldwater's Kendra Clune hit a solo home run, and the Cavaliers added a run in the sixth when Claire Steinke came home on an error.

"It was a great game," said Celina coach Jason Tribolet. "It was a pitchers' duel through six solid innings. Each team had chances (to score in the earlier innings), but in the seventh the little hits started falling."

Wendel, who had struck out 11 through six innings, gave up a lead-off single to Carly Hathaway to start the seventh. After getting a strikeout, Sarah Giesige walked and was pulled for pinch-runner Samantha Jacobs. Sydney Lehman followed with a walk to load the bases for Lucy Piper, who worked the count full before singling to right to bring home two runs to tie the game. Gracie Chilcoat followed with a single to left to score Lehman, giving the Bulldogs the lead at 3-2 before Wendel managed to get the final two outs of the inning.

"Our batters got patient to make (Wendel) throw strikes," said Tribolet. "We started to attack the pitches we could handle."

Jenkins, who scattered four hits through six innings, got a groundout to start the bottom of the seventh. Maddie Sheffer singled and went to second on the throw from right field. Jordan Hemmelgarn was then hit by a pitch and replaced by Izzy Byer.

Tribolet called on Piper Gilliland to try and get out of the jam. Grace Stammen popped foul, but Piper dashed over to make the catch for the second out. Molly Steinke, the lone Coldwater senior on the roster, walked to load the bases for sister Claire Steinke. Gilliland uncorked a wild pitch to score pinch-runner Haley Smith for the tying run. Gilliland then walked Claire Steinke to get to Wendel, who was going to get a chance to hit. After getting a strike on her first pitch, Wendel slowly worked the count full before taking the last pitch just outside for a ball to bring Byer home.

"We just ran out of gas there," said Ahrens. "Madison threw well. She gave us a chance to win. It would have been easy for our kids to bury their heads in the seventh, but we're fought. That's what we've been preaching to the kids, to fight every single inning and game. That's what they did."

Both teams are in league play today. Coldwater plays host to Fort Recovery and Celina returns to Westview Park to take on Ottawa-Glandorf.