Unioto reaches season's end with loss to Dover in Division II softball regional semifinals
CHILLICOTHE − Unioto coach Rob Hull stood in the grass near the left field fence and addressed his senior players one by one. He took his time and thanked each player for their effort and the part each played in the journey Unioto undertook this season and beyond.
The Shermans' senior class oversaw some of the greatest triumphs in program history. Back-to-back district titles after a near three-decade drought, a Scioto Valley Conference title and another sectional title this season come to mind.
But every story needs an end, and Unioto reached its final page this year. Dover met it at Pickerington Central Softball Complex on Wednesday evening and dealt it a 7-1 loss in the Division II regional semifinals.
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"There may never be another group that comes through like this," Hull said. "Close to, I believe, 90-plus wins as a group, and I think under 20 losses. They have stepped up to the plate and challenged any team that has come through. This group holds a special place in my heart. They built a legacy at Unioto."
Both teams were bound to clash. Dover had undergone its own storybook season after shutting out 16 opponents this year and putting up a 40-3 scoring margin through the playoffs. For the first two innings, neither side cracked and sent batters down in order. Hannah Hull, who pitched a complete game for Unioto, struck out three through the first three innings and didn't fold after Dover scored on an RBI single in the third.
Instead, Hull took matters into her own hands. As the leadoff batter in the bottom of the third, Hull made contact. She belted a home run over the center field fence and brought Unioto back to even keel.
Dover responded in kind. Alli Hupp matched Hull's home run with a two-run homer of her own in the fourth to score herself and Charlie Reese.
"It definitely broke open the game," Dover coach Hannah Duff said. "Alli is a freshman that played JV all season, and we brought her along for the tournament. It's definitely big for her, that moment was definitely a confidence booster. I don't think she expected it, and I didn't expect it, but now I know what she can do."
The Tornadoes didn't slow down. They scored another four runs by the end of the game and pounded out 10 hits while the Shermans struggled to find a breakthrough. Hull's home run was the only hit the Shermans managed Wednesday night. Tornadoes pitcher Kara Lint put up nine strikeouts by the end of the game.
"We're a good hitting team, but today (Lint) had our number," Hull said. "Hats off to them, that's a good team. I would take my group any day of the week and go to battle with them. We worked and prepared for this. We did some different things this week trying to prepare for her riseball and things like that, but we just couldn't get the bat on the ball at opportune times."
Now, two of the top Division II teams in the state must go their separate ways. Dover advances to face Logan Elm on Friday, while Unioto must close the book on one of its successful seasons in program history.
There might never be another class that comes through Unioto like its 2024 senior class. Few other teams in program history have done what they've accomplished in four years. But Hull wouldn't have traded this season, or any other, for anything.
"A lot of people don't get to experience what I've experienced as a coach, as a father," Hull said. "I did all this with my two girls, it's been a blessing ... There's a lot of camaraderie here that is very special. These girls have been with me a lot longer than four years. But that's the thing. I'm so excited for them to go to the next level and play. But when you have to put something down, it's us being ourselves and just going through the everyday workouts. They don't shy away. They keep wanting more."
This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Unioto falls to Dover in Division II regional semifinals
