'Hopefully we learned a lot from it': Slow start dooms Dover in Final Four softball quest

PICKERINGTON — The inauspicious signs came early for Dover on Friday.

Ace pitcher Jenna Molk was called for an illegal pitch on her second attempt of the game. Two pitches later, she was called again. It led to a walk.

Within 30 minutes, the Crimson Tornadoes were staring at a three-run deficit after an inning. They never recovered, as a late rally fell short in a 7-3 loss to Circleville Logan Elm in a Division II regional final at Pickerington Central.

The loss ended the Tornadoes’ magical tournament run one step shy of the state tournament.

First-year coach Hannah Duff saw her young team, with just one senior, finish 26-4. Logan Elm, now 21-8, advanced to the Final Four for the first time in 12 years.

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Another victim for Binkley

Logan Elm ace Sadie Binkley doesn’t win with velocity, instead relying on spin and movement to silence bats. She held a potent Sheridan team to one run in the district finals, then held a powerful Plain City Jonathan Alder club to three runs in the regional semifinals.

Dover, with 50 runs in a seven-game winning streak in May, figured to be an even bigger challenge. She met it with the spirit of a speedball train.

Binkley shut the Tornadoes out for five innings and still led 7-1 before Molk launched a long two-run homer in the top of the seventh.

Binkley got the next two batters in order, including a liner off the bat of Lainey Koehler that was snagged in left field.

It was one of many defensive gems the Braves’ gloves produced. Dover managed only five hits — four were singles, two from Charlie Reese.

“We knew she had the movement, knew she had the spin,” Duff said. “We just didn’t adjust to it quick enough.”

Binkley, who walked three, finished with seven strikeouts. She took a three-hitter into the seventh and benefitted from a double play in the fourth, when Reese tried to go first to third on a sacrifice. She avoided the initial tag, but was tagged out after sliding past the bag.

It was that kind of day for Dover's offense.

"They made good plays," Duff said. "We tried to be aggressive on the basepaths. They made the good plays."

‘Frustrating’ start for Molk

The calls against Molk drew the ire of Duff, who wasn’t a fan of either calls.

They were part of a first inning that saw the first three batters reach, including singles from Binkley and Ryleigh Wolfe that netted a 1-0 lead. A two-out passed ball on a called third strike allowed the second to score. An error on a two-out ground ball, which followed a walk, sent home another.

Nine batters came to the plate.

“That’s going to fluster any pitcher — I don’t care how good you are,” Duff said of the illegal pitches. “That’s flustering. That’s frustrating. In my opinion, it’s no way to start a regional final game."

Jacie Clifton's two-out RBI single in the second, after a throwing error on a ground ball started the inning, added another run to the lead.

The haymaker came in the fourth, when Clifton followed singles from Lynsay Vanhoose and Binkley with a three-run homer to left field.

At 7-0, the writing was on the wall. Duff felt nerves played a key role in the outcome, especially early. She said that the coaches stressed to the players in the days leading into the final that they needed to maintain their fun-loving disposition.

That quest failed against Logan Elm, due largely to the slow start.

"Hopefully we learned from it," Duff said. "This is the biggest game that this group of girls has ever played in. They let the game be bigger than them."

2025 squad will be seeking more

Dover loses only one senior in shortstop Lainey Kohler, who played a key role in the everyday lineup as the No. 3 hitter. Otherwise, it's a group that returns intact, including two of the East District's top pitchers in Molk and Kara Lint.

Kohler's vacancy won't be filled easily, Duff said.

"She is a big part of this team." Duff said. "We will need to find someone to replace her energy and her leadership. Other than that we have a lot of sophomores and juniors on this team."

Duff has enjoyed watching them grow.

"I'm kind of like speechless on it," Duff said. "This was my first year and the girls made it so easy. I definitely have high expectations for myself and the girls next year."

Lint, who pitched the final five innings, called the loss a learning experience for the returning players.

"We are definitely going to use this as a booster for next year," Lint said.

sblackbu@gannett.com; X: @SamBlackburnTR

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Slow start dooms Dover in Elite 8 softball vs. Logan Elm