(Above: Watch Litter Media’s interview with Westfall Softball Coach Lance Heath after their SVC title clinch)
After a season of no softball in 2020, the Lady Mustangs of Westfall are back on top of the Scioto Valley Conference with an undisputed championship, following a 7-1 win at Adena on Wednesday.
The victory concludes the conference season for Westfall, standing at (12-2) to finish one game ahead of Unioto. It is the Lady Mustangs 8th SVC Softball title in school history and their fourth straight.
The Lady Mustangs got the offense rolling early with a run in the top of the first and held that 1-0 lead until they added 2 runs in each of the third, fourth and fifth innings.
Adena scored their lone run in the bottom of the fifth.
Five Westfall players had multiple hit games, with two hits each coming from Delana Landefeld, Olivia Dumm, Maddie Mullins, Makayla Cook and Madison Kearney. The Lady Mustangs collected a total of 13 base hits.
Dumm and Mullins each had two RBI’s to lead the offense.
Olivia Dumm also picked up the win on the pitcher’s mound, firing a four-hitter.
Along with their (12-2) SVC title record, Westfall improves to (21-5) overall and opens Division 3 Sectional Tournament play May 14th.
(COLUMBUS)—Ohio Governor Mike DeWine on Wednesday announced a series of statewide drawings to provide incentives to Ohioans to get a COVID-19 vaccination. With wide access to the life-saving vaccine to help Ohioans safe, Governor DeWine also announced that most COVID-19 health orders would be removed on June 2nd. DeWine made the announcements during a statewide address to Ohioans Wednesday evening.
“For a year, Ohioans have made sacrifices to save lives and keep our state moving forward. What you have done has really worked! And now, we have a powerful weapon that is almost 100 percent effective in beating the virus,” Governor DeWine said in his remarks. “Simply put, the vaccine is stronger and better than medical experts ever imagined. And now, everyone 12 and over can use it to protect themselves — to put an invisible shield of protection around themselves. Everyone can now control their own health—their own destiny.”
Vaccine Incentives/Statewide Drawings
In an effort to increase the number of Ohioans who currently have not taken a COVID-19 vaccine to get vaccinated, Governor DeWine announced a series of statewide drawings to help incentivize vaccinations.
Ohioans under the age of 18 who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be entered into a drawing for a four-year full scholarship to any of Ohio’s state colleges and universities, including full tuition, room, and board.
Ohioans aged 18 and older will be entered into a weekly drawing with a prize of up to $1 million.
A total of five weekly drawings for each prize will take place, with the first winners being announced on May 26th. Winners must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the date of the respective drawing.
The drawings will be administered by the Ohio Department of Health, with technical assistance from the Ohio Lottery Commission, and will be funded through existing allocations to the Ohio Department of Health of unexpended coronavirus relief funds.
Further details and contest rules will be announced by the Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Lottery Commission next week during a briefing to news media.
Expiration of Health Orders
Governor DeWine also announced that he has asked the Ohio Department of Health to remove most pandemic health orders on June 2nd. The timeline will allow any Ohioan who has not yet received a COVID-19 vaccine to obtain one to protect themselves and others before the lifting of coronavirus mitigation protocols.
“It is time to end the health orders. It’s been a year. You’ve followed the protocols. You’ve done what we’ve asked. You’ve bravely fought this virus,” said Governor DeWine. “And now, our cases are down, and we have a tested and proven weapon with the vaccine that all Ohioans 12 and over can utilize.”
Measures being removed will include facial covering protocols, social distancing guidelines, and capacity restrictions for indoor and outdoor events.
Governor DeWine announced that any pandemic health orders that would remain solely relate to either 1.) nursing homes and assisted living facilities, which will also to have federal safety protocols, and 2.) data collection related to the pandemic.
Governor DeWine’s Statewide Address Remarks
A copy of Governor DeWine’s statewide address remarks (as prepared) is available in PDF format via this link.
The Ohio Senate has unanimously passed the “Business Fairness Act”.
The bill originated in the Ohio House last year, written by Republican House members Jon Cross and Hillsboro’s Shane Wilkin.
The proposed law, which still needs the governor’s signature, declares all businesses would be considered essential and open during a pandemic, as long as they follow health guidelines. No word on whether Governor Mike DeWine plans to allow the bill to become law or veto it.
The Franklin County Sheriff Office Bomb Team had to be called into neighboring Pickaway County Tuesday to dispose of a pipe bomb found in a home.
The bomb squad responded to a potentially dangerous situation after the Pickaway County Sheriff located a pipe bomb inside a home on Winchester Road near Ashville.
There were no injuries reported and the Pickaway County Sheriff is investigating.
The Chillicothe Evening Lion’s Club will host their next Fish and Tenderloin Fry from 11am-6pm Friday, May 14th at the Lion’s Shelter in Yoctangee Park.
Drive-Thru and Walk-Up service will be available, with sandwiches costing $5 and dinners $8.
100% of all their proceeds go to Eyesight Conservation, Scholarships and other Community Causes.
The Frontier Athletic Conference at Miami Trace High School, the Southern Ohio Conference at Northwest High School and the Mid State League- Buckeye Division at Circleville High School all held their Day #1 events Tuesday.
Day #2 finals for the FAC and SOC are Thursday, May 13th with the MSL wrapping up Friday, May 14th.
Day 1 Girls team leaders in the FAC are: Hillsboro with 29 points, McClain 26, Miami Trace 20, Washington CH and Jackson 13, and Chillicothe 10.
In the FAC Boys meet: Washington CH leads with 31 points, Miami Trace 30, McClain 27.5, Hillsboro 25, Chillicothe 24.5 and Jackson 15.
In the SOC Girls Meet: Wheelersburg 57, Northwest 50, Waverly 47, Minford 22, Clay 18, South Webster 14, St. Joseph Central 9, Notre Dame 7, Oak Hill 3, Valley 3, Green 2, Port. West 1
SOC Boys: Northwest 65, Valley 46, Wheelersburg 29, Waverly 27, Minford 20, Green 17, South Webster 9, Oak Hill 8, Notre Dame 7, Eastern 4, Clay 2, Western 1
MSL- Buckeye Girls:
1.)
Teays Valley
58
2.)
Fairfield Union
52
3.)
Logan Elm
51
4.)
Hamilton Township
23
5.)
Bloom-Carroll
20
6.)
Circleville
11
7.)
Liberty Union
10
8.)
Amanda-Clearcreek
10
MSL Boys:
1.)
Liberty Union
43
2.)
Hamilton Township
39
3.)
Bloom-Carroll
37
4.)
Circleville
36
5.)
Teays Valley
28
6.)
Fairfield Union
23
7.)
Amanda-Clearcreek
15
8.)
Logan Elm
14
To see individual Day #1 results, go to our link to the official results on Baums Page, as they become available.
(Watch our video above where Litter Media’s Mike Smith spoke with Unioto Coach Tony Taylor after their co-championship)
The Unioto Shermans earned a share of the 2021 SVC Baseball Championship Tuesday with an 8-3 win at Huntington. The victory enables the Shermans to share the crown with Westfall, who had already clinched a share the week before.
The win also avenged an earlier season loss Unioto suffered at the hands of the Huntsmen on the Shermans’ home diamond.
The Tuesday game picked up in the top of the second inning with Unioto leading 1-0, where the game had been suspended last week due to rain.
The score stayed that way until Unioto broke loose for five runs in the top of the third inning for a 6-0 lead, then added another run in the fourth for a 7-0 advantage.
Huntington got on the scoreboard with a 2-run bottom of the fourth inning to cut the margin to 7-2, only to see the Shermans add an insurance run in the sixth inning for an 8-2 lead.
Huntington pushed across one last run in the bottom of the seventh, before Unioto pitcher Cameron DeBord ended the game by striking out the final Huntsmen at the plate for an 8-3 win.
DeBord was the winning pitcher, working all 7 innings, yielding 6 hits and fanning 9 Huntsmen batters.
The Shermans showed balance in their hitting order, with Braxton Platt being their only multi-hit offensive player with 3 hits in 4 at-bats, driving in 3 runs.
As a team, Unioto had 9 hits in the game and took advantage of 6 Huntington fielding errors in the contest.
The co-championship is Unioto’s 22nd SVC title in baseball.
Unioto improves to an SVC ending (12-2) record to share the title and improved their overall record to (20-4). The Shermans will play a non-conference game with #1 state ranked Miami Trace later this week, which could be a preview of a possible Division 2 District Final showdown between the two teams. Unioto is a #5 seed going into the tournament next week.
