Girls Best of the Week: Ridgedale closing in on NWCC softball championship after big week

MORRAL — Ridgedale got a lot closer to its first-ever Northwest Central Conference softball championship last week.

Facing four-time defending NWCC champion Elgin, Ridgedale trailed 3-2 in the seventh inning when Lilly Ruth singled and Kenzie Delaney hit a two-run walkoff home run to win it and stay undefeated in the league. Ruth also homered in the game, and Delaney had a single and three RBIs, plus pitched 10 strikeouts with three walks and eight hits allowed.

Go vote: Last week's winners and this week's nominees for the Marion Star Best of the Week Polls

More Ridgedale softball: Rookie head coaches leading softball powers at Cardington and Ridgedale

Earlier in the week, the Rockets blasted Cory-Rawson 42-9. Delaney had two homers among her six hits, while Ruth had five hits with a double and triple. Alexis Burton added four hits followed by three hits from Aubrie Smith and Brenda Scott and two hits from Alexa Garnes and Audra Rush.

Ridgedale capped the week with a 19-9 nonleague victory over Wynford. Both Ruth and Delaney homered and singled, while getting two singles each were Riley Delaney, Adyson Thomas, Taylor Bouahom and Garnes.

Here are some other highlights from the last week from girls spring sports teams in the Marion area:

More softball

● Marion Harding blanked Whitehall 16-0 with Abbie Hoertz pitching a two-hitter with no walks and five strikeouts, plus hitting a double and ending with three RBIs. Kameron Biederman backed her with two triples, three runs and three RBIs, while Raina Smith also had two triples and two runs. Rylee McKinniss doubled and singled, while Macey Harper doubled, and Destinly Brown singled twice.

● In Harding's 14-1 loss to Lexington, Janaiye Braddy hit two singles, and Addyson Myers and Lily Santiago hit a double each. In a 22-2 loss to Ontario, Smith tripled as the Presidents were held to four hits. Harding edged Ontario 8-7 in another game with Braddy tossing a four-hitter with five walks and a strikeout.

● River Valley topped Harding 4-0. For RV, Lanie Wooten doubled twice at the plate and held the Prexies to three hits and four walks with 17 strikeouts. Sidney Street doubled, and Olivia Spires singled twice. Myers had two singles for Harding, and Braddy struck out eight as the pitcher.

● Street threw a one-hitter with a walk and 10 strikeouts, plus hit a double and two singles in RV's 16-0 win over Highland. Also for the Vikings, Sam Woods homered and doubled; Spires homered and singled; Wooten doubled and singled twice; and Addi Braun singled three times. In a 5-1 victory over the Scots, Wooten allowed six hits with 15 strikeouts. Woods singled and homered, while for Highland Bri Tuggle hit a double and two singles and Joss Varney hit two singles.

● North Union shut out Northwestern 11-0 as Reese DeCamp knocked three doubles for four RBIs, and threw a two-hitter with three walks and six strikeouts. Kale Keigley doubled and singled; Zoe Wedding doubled and had three RBIs; Emma Padavano doubled; and Kennedy Harrah singled twice. The Wildcats were held to two hits in a 9-0 loss to Kenton Ridge.

● North Union fell to Northwestern 1-0 despite a five-hitter with 10 strikeouts, one walk and no earned runs from DeCamp. Wedding had two of NU's three hits. In a 15-6 loss to Bellefontaine, Padavano homered and singled twice for three RBIs, and DeCamp doubled and singled, while Emma McElroy and Kailin McElroy both singled twice.

● The Wildcats split a doubleheader with Cardington, winning one 8-2 and dropping one 5-0. In the 8-2 game, DeCamp and Brenna Martino combined for a seven-hitter with four strikeouts as Harrah doubled and singled, Ryleigh Rasey doubled, and the McElroys and Wedding singled twice. Cardington committed seven errors as Genevieve Longsdorf and Aril Simpson teamed for a seven-hitter with two walks, two earned runs and seven strikeouts. Simpson doubled.

● In the 5-0 game, Longsdorf held NU to two Kailin McElroy hits, striking out 14 and walking two. She doubled along with Kayden Burchett and Celia Hall, who also had two singles. Simpson and Abby Ufferman chipped in with a pair of singles each.

● Cardington beat Centerburg 4-1. Longsdorf gave up five hits with 12 strikeouts. Ufferman homered and had three RBIs, and Alexis Longsdorf tripled while Myleigh Bishop singled twice.

● Cardington run-ruled Mount Gilead twice last week. In a 13-2 win, Genevieve Longsdorf went 4-for-5 followed by her sister's double and two singles, Morgan Powell's double and three RBIs, Simpson's two singles and Ava Davis' doubled. Greer Simpson hit two singles, and Kierra Main and Savannah Wilt each doubled for Mount Gilead. In the 14-0 victory, Longsdorf threw a one-hitter with a walk and 15 strikeouts. She also had two hits along with her sister, Hall and Davis.

● Northmor knocked out Elgin 12-2. Shelby Cooper gave up five hits, three walks and four strikeouts for the Golden Knights. At the plate, Regan See hit two triples and a single for three RBIs; Kate Kissling hit a double and single for three runs; Madison Simpson hit a triple; Katalina Roseberry hit a double and single; and Kallie Wright hit two singles. For Elgin, Katie Penry singled twice, and Gracie Isler doubled.

● Northmor also handled Highland 10-6 with Mahaila Strobel knocking a homer and two singles and Raelyn Fulk and Simpson doubling and singling. Cooper gave up three earned runs, three walks and six strikeouts. For Highland, Aubree Johnson doubled and singled twice, and Lydia Shaffer homered.

● Kissling and Cooper combined for a four-hitter, walking one and striking out 11 in a 14-1 win over Mount Gilead. Simpson blasted two home runs, scoring three runs with three RBIs. Strobel and Alexis See hit a double and single, and Saje Miley added a double, while Cooper added three singles and three runs, Kallie Wright singled twice and scored three times, and Regan See singled twice. In a 16-4 loss to Fredericktown, Wright hit a home run.

Track and Field

● North Union edged Northmor 86-74 at the Elgin Relays. Pleasant was third with 58 points, followed by 40 from Elgin and 18 from Ridgedale.

● North Union took the 4x1600-meter relay in 25:23.91, the 4x800 in 10:36.65, the 4x100 in 53.28, the 4x200 in 1:52.07, the distance medley in 9:07.23 and the sprint medley in 2:00.06. The Wildcats also won the long jump at 44-5.25 as Gabby Lindsey had the longest jump at 16-8.75.

● Northmor picked up wins in the low hurdle relay with 1:03.52 and the 4x400 in 4:43.4. Natalie Hunter at 9 feet was tops in the pole vault, teaming with Ryann Brinkman to finish with 16 feet to win it. The Knights also won the throws, getting 221-2 in the discus and 82-4.25 in the shot put.

● Pleasant won the shuttle hurdles in 1:13.52. Pleasant's Lily Wright led the shot put at 30-7.

● Elgin's Addi Holland topped the high jump with a personal best 4-10 and led the Comets to the event win at 12-7. Teammate Abigail Seiter had the best toss in the discus at 94-7.

Coaches and statisticians are encouraged to send their results to the Marion Star's Rob McCurdy at rmccurdy@gannett.com, 419-610-0998, X @McMotorsport and Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.

Vote: Marion Star Girls Best of the Week Performer Poll

● In last week's girls poll, River Valley's Eva Moran, who won the pole vault in a meet-tying record of 11 feet at the Gerald Swankhouse Invitational in Upper Sandusky, plus finished fourth in the 100 meters in 13.66 seconds, earned 899 of 2,292 votes (39 percent) to win the poll. Other nominees were Cardington softball's Ari Simpson, Highland softball's Lydia Shaffer, Marion Harding softball's Kameron Biederman, Pleasant softball's Faith Staley and Ridgedale softball's Kenzie Delaney.

● This week's poll can be found at MarionStar.com and its app and will be active through early Sunday morning. The nominees are as follows:

● Ridgedale softball's Kenzie Delaney hit a walkoff two-run home run, plus pitched 10 strikeouts, one walk and two earned runs in an eight-hitter victory over Elgin.

● River Valley softball's Sidney Street gave up one hit, one walk and 10 strikeouts plus hit a double and two singles in a win over Highland.

● Cardington softball's Abby Ufferman hit a home run and drove in three runs in a win over Centerburg.

● Marion Harding track's Lydia Price was second in the 1600 meters and third in the 3200 at the Marion Night Invitational.

● Elgin track's Addi Holland won the high jump in a personal record 4 feet, 10 inches at the Elgin Relays.

● North Union track's Gabby Lindsey went 16-8.75 to win the long jump at the Elgin Relays.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Girls Best: Ridgedale getting closer to NWCC softball crown