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

CHILLICOTHE — Just as soon as the high school baseball and softball seasons began, their schedules have started to wind down ahead of playoffs.

Time has flown, but developments from around the area continue to pop up day after day. Unioto softball hung 37 runs on Washington in its most domineering offensive showcase this season. Pitching among Scioto Valley Conference teams saw one of its best weeks yet. Piketon and Westfall continue to ride their respective hot streaks ahead of their clash later this week.

There's plenty of action to recap from the past week, and a heap of developments that might have flown under the radar. Here are a handful of takeaways from Chillicothe-area baseball and softball teams after another week of action:

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A week of pitching dominance

Flat out, pitching has been the defining facet of Scioto Valley Conference baseball over the past week. On Tuesday, Unioto's KB Perkins and Jaxon Zickafoose combined for a perfect game in a completed game against Paint Valley. Southeastern's Carson McWhorter and Coleton Baxter tossed a combined no-hitter the very next day. Seven games in the conference ended with the winning team giving up two hits or fewer.

It's no new development that pitching has been one of the strongest aspects of most SVC teams. But last week showed just how dominant pitchers from around the conference can be.

An OHSAA record

Unioto softball's win over Washington on Saturday was one for the record books, pun fully intended. The Shermans tied the state record for the most home runs hit in a game by a single team after hitting nine against the Blue Lions. Abbie Marshall then tied the state record for most home runs in a game hit by a single player with four.

Some teams win, others dominate. What Unioto did Saturday surpassed any of that. Home runs aside, its offense was on another level. Haylee Hull hit five doubles by herself, and four of the Shermans had five RBIs or more. As far as wins go, Unioto couldn't have asked for a smoother win than that.

One win streak ends, another continues

After almost a full month of dominance, Zane Trace finally met its match over the weekend. Its 13-game winning streak was ended by Jackson after a 9-4 loss on Saturday. Before then, the Pioneers hadn't lost to any team since Washington in late March.

Even though its overall winning streak is at an end, the Pioneers don't need to dwell on the loss. They're still undefeated in conference play and still hold a confident lead heading into the final stretch of the regular season. Aside from Huntington and Unioto, they've beaten every other team in the conference by five runs or more. Even after over a month, there's little sign that the Pioneers are slowing down their dominant run through the SVC.

Piketon and Westfall continuing to climb

One of the main focuses over the past week has been the surge of Piketon and Westfall softball through the standings.

In Piketon's case, it has won six of its last seven games and usurped Huntington to take third place in the SVC. It scraped by for slim wins over Zane Trace and Westfall, but both games showcased just what the Redstreaks can do. Paige Helton only gave up four hits in the circle against the Pioneers, and the offense found a late rally after trailing the Mustangs by two after six innings.

For Westfall, its conference record has helped float it back to a 4-7 record amid a recent hot streak. All of Westfall's latest four games have been decided by two runs or less. Its most recent win — a 14-13 barn burner at Huntington — saw Westfall score its most runs in a game since its win over Zane Trace the Monday prior.

Both the Mustangs and the Redstreaks have been on fire as of late, and they're on a collision course to decide who falls where in the conference race. The two teams face off Wednesday, and that matchup might be the determining factor in who gets the final leg up.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: What we learned: Looking at the past week in area baseball and softball