Galion's fairytale run in postseason ends in district championship loss to Margaretta
SHELBY — After starting the season 0-6, Calli Bauer said she would've thought someone was dreaming if they told her at the time she'd be playing for a Division III district championship.
"We started off with Northmor and just didn't play well, we didn't know our identity yet," Bauer said. "Then we went to Clear Fork and lost 4-3 … then we got run-ruled by Clear Fork and run-ruled twice by Shelby — they're top of the MOAC. Once we started the winning streak and realizing — hey, we can hit the ball too — that was really the turning point for us.
"We definitely changed our identity."
The Tigers would go on to win 13 of their next 20 games and make a Cinderella run to the district championship for the first time since 2019 before losing a thriller to Margaretta 5-4 on Friday.
"When we came out and scored in the first I was like — OK, good, this is us, we're playing us," Bauer said. "Their pitcher (Skylar Colvin) is the best pitcher we've faced all year with getting hitters to swing and miss. It wasn't that she was overpowering or her spins were too great, we were just swinging at balls that are out of our zone. But hats off to her, she made our swingers mess and she did a great job."
Colvin was dominant in the circle with 11 strikeouts and sitting the Tigers down in order twice. But freshman Destiny Blue was determined to give her team a chance opening the scoring with a single to score Kaitylyn McKee in the first inning. She would then drive in Cameron Eckert and McKee in the fifth inning on a blooper to centerfield giving Galion a 3-2 lead.
"At the beginning of season, Destiny wasn't a starter … but she's fought for a spot," Bauer said. "I put her in to hit a couple times and she showed up. Then after that, it was undeniable, I had to keep playing her."
Margaretta would retake the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Katelyn Cox sent a double down the right field line scoring Delaney Fields — who had just tied the game with an RBI single — and Lilly Edwards.
"That fifth inning was when the bottom of their order killed us," Bauer said.
But in resilient fashion McKee led off the seventh with a solo bomb to left field to pull within one, then Cece Campbell was hit for the second time to get on base and went on to steal second. But the next two Galion batters struck out swinging and the Polar Bears held on for their second district title in the last three years, they were runner-up last season.
"We fall behind in the first, we had some demoralizing plays in the fifth inning," Margaretta coach Dale Dawson said. "We could have quit, but these girls don't quit. The kids have effort, they have heart, they don't quit.
"That's a great team over there," he added about Galion. "Holy heck, all the way through the lineup I was impressed. Good pitching, good coaching, kids play fundamental softball."
Speaking of good pitching, Madison Beck struck out 10, seven of which coming in the final three innings. It's doubly impressive considering she took a line drive to the sternum from the second batter in the first inning. Beck took a couple minutes to compose herself and would force a double play in the next at-bat before giving up a home run to Cassie Lane.
"After she got hit, I was nervous," Bauer said. "She was a little tight still in her ribs, and I think after when that bomb happened. It drifted a little bit over the plate."
It wasn't the first time that happened to her, either.
"I've gotten drilled a lot in the past, so I'm kind of used to it," Beck said with a laugh. "It took me a minute to catch my breath and everything, but I was completely fine after that. That homer was probably because I was winded, but I take accountability for it because I threw right down the middle.
"My lungs were a little sore, but I've been sick the past week or two, so that and getting hit in the ribs just hit me hard."
That sort of grittiness has been instrumental to the Tigers' success in the second half of the season.
"She has really picked it up this year and towards the end of the season relying on her stuff and not trying to do too much," Bauer said. "Trusting that her stuff's going to do the job and making hitters swing and miss. Her change-up tonight was phenomenal, her curveball was great, she was hitting her spots."
Offensively the Polar Bears were led by Edwards' two hits and two runs, along Lane and Cox each driving in a pair. Galion had two hits and three RBIs from Blue, a hit and run from Eckert, and a hit, RBI and three runs from McKee; Campbell logged a 0-0 day drawing two walks and getting hit twice.
It was the last time Campbell, and Ava Ball, took the field with their teammates as the two departing seniors. And the impact they've made on this program is a lasting one.
"They left the program better than they found it," Bauer said. "They're phenomenal leaders and I couldn't have asked for anything else my first year here at Galion. Ava, we call her the team mom. She's the quiet one of the pair, and Cece's loud and in your face — they're a good duo. Ava got hurt at the beginning of the year, fought for a spot back, and ended up hitting really well for us and playing good in right field. And Cece is a wall behind the plate. People coming in with 20 something stolen bases on the year won't try to run on her because they know she's phenomenal back there.
"People keep coming up to me and saying — coach, you turned this program around — I didn't do anything, I'm just here. They're the ones who bought in as a whole, all 14 of them that are here and playing. They bought into the program and what we needed to do, and they made Galion softball relevant again."
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Margaretta tops Galion in Division III softball district championship
