Sectional Softball Roundup: At least three teams advancing to district tournaments

MARION — Three Marion-area softball teams advanced to the districts with one spot still to be determined.

In Division III, Pleasant, Cardington and Northmor all moved on, while Ridgedale was playing for a Division IV sectional title at Berne Union Friday after the Marion Star's deadline.

Here is a roundup of the area's sectional softball games from the last week:

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Pleasant

● No. 12 seed Pleasant defeated No. 15 Amanda-Clearcreek 6-0 behind a one-hit, three-walk, 11-strikeout gem by pitcher Kylie Eastep. Hannah Miller doubled and singled to drive in three runs, while Katie Jordan scored three times after two singles, and Madi Penleton added two singles.

● The Spartans won the D-III sectional title with a 3-1 victory over No. 7 Bishop Ready. Faith Staley and Eastep combined to toss a one-hitter with three walks and 11 strikeouts. Staley also doubled, while Quinn Wilson and Peyton Simpkins each singled twice.

● In the district semifinals, Pleasant will play at top-seeded Fairbanks Monday at 5 p.m.

Cardington

● The second-seeded Pirates earned their spot in the next round with a 30-0 victory over No. 9 Harvest Prep. Genevieve Longsdorf pitched a five-inning perfect game with 13 strikeouts, while Ari Simpson hit two home runs for seven RBIs. Also for Cardington, Longsdorf and Myleigh Bishop hit home runs; Kayden Burchett doubled and tripled for four RBIs; Morgan Powell drove in four runs; and Alexis Longsdorf and Simpson both scored five times.

● The Pirates will host No. 11 Utica Monday at 5 p.m.

Northmor

● No. 8 seed Northmor opened with a 10-0 win over No. 18 Northridge. Madison Simpson led the Golden Knights with a home run, followed by a double and single from Mahaila Strobel, a double from Kallie Wright, three singles from Raelyn Fulk and two singles each from Kate Kissling and Shelby Cooper. Cooper allowed five hits and no walks with 10 strikeouts.

● To claim the sectional title, the Knights handled No. 6 Grove City Christian 8-1. Simpson and Strobel both doubled twice, while Wright and Fulk singled twice, and Katalina Roseberry doubled. Cooper pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts and a walk.

● No. 10 seed West Jefferson travels to Northmor Monday at 5 p.m. for a district semifinal game.

Ridgedale

● No. 7 Ridgedale earned its way to a Division IV sectional championship game at No. 5 Berne Union after a 16-0 win over No. 10 Delaware Christian. For the Rockets, Lilly Ruth homered and singled three times, while Kenzie Delaney homered, doubled and singled, and Alexis Burton homered and singled. Brenda Scott and Taylor Bouahom both doubled and singled, and Riley Delaney singled twice.

● The sectional final was rained out Thursday and moved to Friday evening.

Other games

● No. 17 Elgin blasted No. 16 Tree of Life 13-2 in a Division III opener as Madison Hill pitched a two-hitter with one walk and 10 strikeouts, plus hit a double and single for three RBIs. Also for the Comets, Miley Corbin tripled and singled twice for three RBIs; Emilie Bishop tripled and singled; Chloe Atha singled three times; and Maycee Muselin singled twice.

● Elgin then fell to No. 3 Liberty Union 12-2 as it was held to four singles. Liberty Union broke the game open with seven runs in the third inning.

● In Division II, No. 7 Lakewood got by No. 3 River Valley 5-4 in the sectional final. The Vikings outhit the visitors 11-4, but were hurt by five errors. For RV, Kamryn Fowler and Samantha Woods both homered; Lanie Wooten doubled and singled twice; Olivia Spires doubled and singled; Addi Braun doubled; and Sidney Street singled twice. Wooten went the distance in the four-hitter, walking none and striking out seven.

● North Union's Reese DeCamp was perfect in a five-inning 14-0 win over No. 19 Marion-Franklin, striking out 11 in the Division II game. Pacing the ninth-seeded Wildcats were Zoe Wedding with a home run, double, three runs and three RBIs, Decamp with a triple and three RBIs, Kennedy Harrah with a triple and single; Emma McElroy with a triple; Ryleigh Rasey with a double, Sierra Farrington with a double and Kailin McElroy with three runs

● No. 5 Bloom-Carroll scored a run in the bottom of the seventh inning for the 1-0 win over North Union. The Wildcats managed just two hits with Rasey getting a triple. DeCamp allowed seven hits and three walks with four strikeouts.

● Also in D-II, No. 11 Highland dominated No. 13 Whitehall-Yearling 22-2 as Lydia Shaffer gave up one hit and six walks with eight strikeouts. Leading the Scots at the plate were Kate Clements with a double and two singles for three runs and four RBIs, Aubree Johnson with three runs and four RBIs, Josh Varney with three runs, Kaymi Lewis with two singles and four runs, and Bri Tuggle and Aubree Johnson with a double apiece. The Scots lost 10-0 to No. 4 Licking Valley in the sectional final.

● In Division I, No. 26 Hilliard Darby held off No. 41 Marion Harding 12-11, while in Division IV, No. 3 Mechanicsburg beat No. 11 Mount Gilead 7-0.

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This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Sectional Softball: Pleasant, Cardington, Northmor get district berths