What we learned: Takeaways from the past week in area high school baseball and softball

CHILLICOTHE — Time is running out for area baseball and softball teams.

Playoffs are no longer some far-flung goal off in the distance. Tournament time is right around the corner. Softball is in its final week of the regular season. Teams from around the area are all cracking down as their final conference matchups loom in the distance.

Last week brought plenty of excitement. Unioto, for instance, knocked off then-undefeated Zane Trace to reopen the possibility of a Scioto Valley Conference title race. Westfall and Piketon softball squared off in a much-anticipated late matchup, only to remain tied for third in the standings.

There's been plenty of action around the area over the past week, as well as things that might have flown under the radar. Here are a few takeaways from area teams over the past week, and what they might mean as playoffs approach.

Unioto vs. Zane Trace Baseball: Ashton Crace's stellar night on the mound paces Unioto to win over Zane Trace

VOTE: Cast your vote for the April 21-27 Chillicothe Gazette Athletes of the Week

SVC baseball race tightens

Games between Zane Trace and Unioto tend to live up to the hype, and their rematch Friday was no different. Unioto got its revenge after Zane Trace took the first game in the series two weeks prior, thanks to a stellar pitching performance on the mound from Ashton Crace and some timely hitting by Keegan Snyder and Owen Link.

Although Zane Trace still holds sole control of first place in the Scioto Valley Conference standings, there's less room for error. Both teams have only two conference games left on the schedule, and the Pioneers need just one more win to secure at least a share of the SVC title as of Monday morning.

That's to say anything can happen, but it would require Zane Trace dropping another game to either Paint Valley or Westfall. Still, the race for the SVC title is still anyone's game.

Paint Valley baseball ending strong

The Bearcats have been on a bit of a bump through the final stretch of the regular season. Before Monday, they'd won three of their last four games and had pulled their record back up to 10-10 overall this year. A loss to Huntington on Friday hurt a bit, but the Bearcats are padded by wins over Westfall, Adena and Western over the past week.

Sure, there's a few challenges left on Paint Valley's schedule — its matchup with Zane Trace comes to mind. But there's still time for the Bearcats to add a few more wins before tournament time. It has a rematch with Western on May 2, and its final SVC matchup against Piketon ought to bring some contention.

Piketon and Westfall softball still sparring

Even with the final week of the season on tap, Piketon and Westfall are still competing for third place in the conference standings. Both stand with a 7-5 record in the SVC, and both have just two conference matchups left on the schedule. When the two squared off last Wednesday, it seemed Piketon had finally gotten ahold of Westfall and taken the lead late. But its loss to Adena over the weekend put it right back into contention.

Westfall might have a tougher time. It has to line up against Unioto on Monday, plus a rematch with Zane Trace that Wednesday. Piketon, while still having a challenge in Huntington lined up, also has a game against Paint Valley to close out the regular season.

Chillicothe's tear through April

Don't call it a comeback anymore. The Cavaliers have been back for some time. They've only lost twice in the past two weeks — nonconference losses to Notre Dame and Unioto by a combined 13 runs. All throughout April, however, the Cavaliers have been piling on win after win, with each one being better than the last.

Take their last two wins for instance, both shutouts over McClain and Logan. Aside from allowing just five combined hits on 10 strikeouts through both games, Chillicothe combined for 33 runs in its last two wins. To put that in context, it scored 36 runs through its first seven games of the year.

With the postseason on its way, the Cavaliers are peaking at the right time. Their path through the playoffs is never easy, but they have a chance now to make a run after cutting their teeth on their April slate.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: What we learned: Takeaways from the past week in baseball and softball