Watkins Memorial softball rolls to third consecutive district championship
PICKERINGTON — It is not easy for a freshman to crack arguably the deepest softball lineup in Ohio, and Alli Langwasser did not see her name among the starters until Watkins Memorial’s biggest games.
Langwasser has paid off coach Mike Jellison’s faith in her. She smacked three hits Friday in top-seeded Watkins Memorial’s 6-1 victory against No. 7 Mount Vernon (21-8) in a Division I district final at Pickerington Central, winning the program’s third consecutive championship.
“I had to do my job — move the runners,” said Langwasser, who split the right-center gap with a leadoff triple in the second inning and scored the Warriors’ third run. “I have to have a clean mindset always, stay positive. If it doesn’t go your way, always pick up the next girl behind you in line.”
Watkins (26-1) plays Hilliard Bradley (19-5), which beat Olentangy Berlin 4-0 on Friday, in a regional semifinal at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Olentangy Orange. Newark plays Marysville in the earlier semifinal at 2 p.m.
Langwasser, who was Watkins’ designated player, did not receive her first start of the season until the postseason began earlier this month. The left-handed hitter delivered Friday, also driving a long single over the center fielder’s head and another single up the middle.
“It’s a great opportunity. I am very thankful to be in this program,” she said.
Langwasser’s primary defensive position is catcher. That is junior Jordyn Wycuff’s spot, and she matched Langwasser’s three hits.
Wycuff lined a single to left to score senior Taylor Gerhardt in the first inning, and Wycuff raced around the bases on the play after a throwing error. She previously broke the program’s career RBI mark on Thursday.
“To be a part of this program is to know what love is, what a family is,” Wycuff said. “Obviously you can tell, we had a freshman step up huge. Anyone is capable throughout our lineup. We are stacked, and we have full confidence in anyone that steps up to the plate or takes a spot in the field.”
Wycuff also caught another dominant performance from junior Carsyn Cassady. The ace right-hander struck out 14 against one walk, allowing just two hits in the sixth inning on a bloop double and a bunt.
Langwasser has not minded waiting her turn. Wycuff did the same, playing right field as a freshman while backing up All-Ohio catcher Madison Jellison.
“Having Jordyn, I look up to her,” Langwasser said. “She gives me amazing talks. I look up to her like a big sister.”
Gerhardt reached base three times out of the leadoff spot for Watkins, driving in runs with a second-inning single and a fourth-inning squeeze bunt. Senior McKayla Jellison added a solo home run in the fifth.
The Warriors, who will be attempting to win their third consecutive regional title next week, have set such high expectations for themselves that it raises eyebrows if they do not hit several home runs or Cassady allows a run. Mike Jellison has kept their focus on the end goal.
“We have a lot of kids that can produce on any given night, and we can play a lot of different ways,” Mike Jellison said. “The teams that are still alive have really good pitching, so you are not going to get four or five home runs a game. ... We can bunt, we have great speed and we have good power, too.”
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This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Watkins Memorial, Newark win Division I district softball titles
