Clear-minded underclassmen give Licking Valley softball win against Newark Catholic
HANOVER — Addison Justice did not feel the pressure of the moment Tuesday.
The Licking Valley sophomore just saw the ball and hit the ball, and that is all Valley needed. Justice’s deep drive to left field fell for a hit in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Panthers a 6-5 victory against visiting Newark Catholic in Licking County League play.
“I didn’t know that was the game until I got on second,” Justice said. “It was frustrating because I wasn’t hitting well all game. That one came into my zone, and I took a chance at it.”
Valley (6-5, 3-2) answered two NC runs in each of the first two innings before the Green Wave (8-5, 3-3) took the lead for a third time in the top of the third and held it until the bottom of the sixth. Liz Korns’ sacrifice fly to score Abbe McNabb tied the game and set the stage for freshman Tori Baughman.
Baughman retired three of the Green Wave’s best hitters in the top of the seventh in relief of McNabb. She then led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to right field and moved to third on a throwing error before Justice knocked her in with one out.
“Tori is just one of those kids where there is no emotion,” Valley coach Chad Dennis said. “If she has a couple mistakes, you can’t see it. She washes it pretty quick, and she competes. She has done it for a long time (at the lower levels). We have a lot of confidence in her.”
It was a frustrating loss for NC, which saw that lead disappear three times and never could seal the win. Avery Nagel hit a two-run double in the first inning, Kylie Gibson and Emma Lohri RBI hits in the second and Veronica Bailey an RBI double in the third.
The Green Wave had a runner caught stealing in the fifth inning. They put runners on first and second in the sixth with one out, forcing Dennis to go to Baughman, but she never had to retire a batter as both runners were caught stealing on the same play.
“We need to have better execution when we have runners on base and not make goofy plays,” NC coach Logan Depriest said. “We had two on in the top of the sixth, and we just had a mental blunder. Against teams like that, you can’t have that.”
Taylor Penick’s two-run home run got Valley started in the first inning. D’Neya Dennis lined a two-run double down the left field line in the second, scoring Korns and Hailey Small.
Korns and Small out of the bottom two spots in the order combined to reach three times, score twice and drive in a run. Eight of the nine Panthers had a hit, and six scored.
“It’s very nerve-racking being the one that has to get a hit, but knowing I have (D’Neya Dennis) coming after me, I have a lot of faith in her because she is a successful slapper and hits very well,” Small said. “I do exactly what they tell me what to do whether it’s stealing or any of the sort, and I trust that (D’Neya Dennis) will get it done.”
Justice added, “Knowing everyone was getting base hits got me pumped.”
Gibson recorded three hits and two runs and Lohri, Nagel and Bailey two hits each for the Green Wave. Bailey relieved Nagel in the circle in the third inning and threw three scoreless innings until the Panthers scored in each of the final two.
The Green Wave had rebounded with a six-game winning streak following a four-game losing streak. They now must bounce back again.
“This one’s going to sting for a little bit,” Depriest said. “We are going sit on this for a bit tonight and wake back up tomorrow. Good thing about softball is there is always tomorrow.”
Valley has won three consecutive games after a five-game losing streak.
Weather permitting, the Panthers are entering a busy stretch which includes a visit from Johnstown and back-to-back games against Licking Heights to close out the week.
“It builds on the fact we can all trust each other,” Small said. “They might not be having a good game, but they can come back and make an astounding play. Like (Justice) said, she wasn’t having a very good game, and she hit in the winning run. (Baughman) said she wasn’t having a very good game, and she pitched her butt off.”
740-973-4541
This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Underclassmen give Licking Valley softball win against Newark Catholic
