Lancaster easily dispatched TV. Now, the Lady Gales get the revenge rematch they wanted
SUNBURY – They asked for it. They got it.
The Lancaster softball team felt the sting of losing in a Division I regional final two years ago against Watkins Memorial, and to add to the Lady Gales’ misery, they lost during the regular season just over a month ago against the Warriors.
Lancaster (28-3) did its part on Wednesday by easily dispatching Teays Valley 10-0 in five innings during a Division I regional semifinal at Big Walnut High School in front of a large crowd to set up what they have been waiting for, a rematch with the Warriors.
That game will take place at 5 p.m. Friday back at Big Walnut with a berth to the state tournament on the line. The Warriors reached the finals with a 3-0 win over Hilliard Bradley in Wednesday’s first game.
Asked after the game if this is where she wanted to be, having another shot at Watkins, Lancaster coach Allie Kinniard didn’t mince words.
“Where we want to be is in Akron (where the state tournament is held),” Kinniard said. “We have been focusing in on one game at a time, and we’ve been waiting on this rematch since the 20th of April. We are locked in, we’ve had great energy at practice, and we are playing loose, and we didn’t feel any pressure today, just knowing we had each other’s backs, and that will carry us.”
Redemption: Poston delivers in the circle, at the plate in Lancaster’s district final win
Lady Gales come out swinging
After averaging more than 10 runs per game, the Gales managed only three hits in their 2-0 district championship win over Olentangy Liberty, but on Wednesday, Lancaster was back to form.
The Gales finished with 14 hits, including five extra-base hits. Jenna Spurling led the way by going 3-for-3, including a double, an RBI and scored three runs. Ashlin Mowery and Reese Poston had two hits and two RBIs, and each had a double. Kendall Brown had two hits and an RBI, and Lilly Stoughton had two hits, including a double. Ky Pugh had a double, and Hailey Rings had a hit.
The big blow came in the fourth inning when senior catcher Skylar Smith delivered a mammoth grand slam to straight away centerfield to push the Gales lead from 5-0 to 9-0. It was the type of home run where you knew it was gone as soon as she hit it. It was Smith’s 16th home run of the season.
“It felt amazing as soon as it left my bat,” Smith said. “We were prepared and dialed into what their pitchers were throwing. We’ve worked so hard all season, and we’ve had our ups and downs, but I feel like our momentum going into the next game is going to give us a big push. We are excited for the opportunity, and we will be ready.”
Lancaster took a 1-0 lead in the first inning and an RBI double from Mowery, and in the second inning, the Lady Gales plated four more runs, thanks to three straight doubles from Stoughton, Poston and Pugh. After Rings singled, Spurling hit a double, and Brown closed out the scoring with a run-scoring single.
Mowery was throwing smoke
Mowery tossed a two-hitter and finished with 10 strikeouts in five innings in the circle. She struck out eight batters in the first three innings.
“I came out with the mindset of putting my all into and not shying away from it, and not ever getting complacent,” Mowery said. “I focused in, pitch by pitch and gave it everything on each pitch, and if they hit, I knew I had my team behind that I can trust. This is where we wanted to be and to finally get back here and have a chance to get revenge on Watkins is great.”
Tom Wilson is a sports reporter for the Lancaster Eagle-Gazette. Contact him at 740-689-5150 or via email at twilson@gannett.com for comments or story tips. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @twil2323.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: OHSAA Softball: Lancaster cruises past TV to set up rematch with Warriors
