Unioto Returns To Softball Sweet 16 with District Title Win Over Circleville

Article Presented By Rathkamp Financial…

Unioto’s Hannah Hull and Circleville’s Gabby McConnell had center stage of a pitching duel for the first four-and-a-half innings of the Division 2 District Championship Game Friday, before offenses of both teams finally came to life in the last few innings.

McConnell kept Unioto off the scoreboard until the bottom of the fifth inning, when the Lady Shermans scored their only two runs. McKenzie Eisel started the two-out rally with a single. Alexis Book followed with an RBI triple, then scored when the throw to third base went wide of the bag, allowing Book to score for a 2-0 lead.

Hull, who spun a two-hitter as the winning pitcher, kept the Lady Tigers off the scoreboard until Circleville scored in the top of the 7th inning. (16-10) Circleville put a late scare into Unioto when Ella Michael led off with a double, then Maddie Blakeman reached on an error. With runners at the corners, Ally Thornsley drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to right to cut the deficit to 2-1. Hannah Hull ended the game by getting Circleville to pop up in foul territory where catcher Abbie Marshall recorded the put-out for the 2-1 victory.

(Photo Courtesy: John Howley of Sporting Pumpkin)

Marshall was the lone multiple hit player in the game, going 2 for 3. Gabby McConnell took the loss, despite giving up only four hits to Unioto.

The Tanks improve to (23-3) and will face Dover at 5pm May 22nd at Pickerington Central High School.