Wheelersburg Wins D-3 Softball State Championship

Coach Teresa Ruby’s Lady Pirates of Wheelersburg proved their state top ranking all regular season was legitimate, claiming the Division 3 Softball State Championship with a 5-2 win over Tuslaw, Saturday at Akron’s Firestone Stadium.

(27-1) Wheelersburg scored twice in the first, third and added a single run in the seventh, while Tuslaw scored twice in the fifth.

Burg got their scoring in the top of the first inning with an Andi Jo Howard 2-run single that scored Haley Myers and Catie Boggs.

That lead held up until the Lady Pirates added two more in the top of the third when Sydney Skiver’s RBI single up the middle, scored Haley Myers for a 3-0 lead. Later in the inning with two runners on, Rileigh Lang flied into double play, but Macee Eaton scored for Burg’s 4-0 lead.

Tuslaw cut the deficit to 4-2 in the fifth inning.

Kaylynn Carter relieved starting Wheelersburg pitcher Andi Jo Howard after Tuslaw led off with a double in the bottom of the 6th inning. Carter retired the next three hitters with Burg holding their 4-2 lead.

Wheelersburg’s Macee Eaton connected on her 20th home run of the season with a solo blast in the top of the 7th for a 5-2 lead, that became the eventual final score.

Wheelersburg scored 5 runs on 10 hits, stranding 6 runners and committing 2 errors. Tuslaw scored 2 runs on 5 hits, no errors and left 5 runners on base.

The state title is the second for the Wheelersburg softball program since 2016.