Wooster softball wins first conference game in topping Ashland

Tied at 1-1 after two innings, the Wooster High School softball team used a five-run third inning en route to a 14-4 Ohio Cardinal Conference win over Ashland at Brookside Park on Thursday.

The win, Wooster’s first in the OCC this season, avenges an opening-season 9-7 loss to Ashland on March 27. Wooster is now 1-7 in the OCC and 4-11 overall, Ashland falls to 1-9, 2-14.

“It’s a big win for our program, the OCC is a tough conference, it’s a grind and anytime you play a conference opponent it’s tough,” Wooster coach Jimmy Williams said. “Our girls battled and that was our goal tonight, go out and compete, and you saw that.”

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A two-run single in the third inning by Wooster’s Isabelle Fortune helped the Generals get their five runs, with RBI-singles by Kiara Hanna and Savannah Schaad. Hanna ended the game plating four runs, getting a pair of hits and Tori Pettorini led the Generals with a trio of singles.

Ashland continues to play hard and with enthusiasm but the Arrows also must minimize their mistakes in the field with four errors. Wooster also had five errors.

“We’re a young team, we’re growing together game by game, and the minute anybody starts to give up on us is the second we’re going to come around and show them, so we’ll be fine,” first-year Ashland coach Michelle VanHorn. “They want so badly to be successful but right now we’re just overthinking a little, and the time when they don’t think, they go back to that backyard of softball and baseball and have fun, is when we’ll get back to Arrow ball.”

Wooster pitcher Sydney McAfoos pitched seven innings, earning the win in the circle by giving up four runs on four hits, fanning five and walking five.

“Syd’s a freshman for us and we’re excited about her future, and she’s got a lot of potential,” Williams said. “She did a great job keeping the ball down, had a few walks but again, trusted her defense, threw a nice drop ball and there were a lot of ground ball outs.

“We’ve said from the beginning, it’s a journey and the girls are starting to buy in. They’re starting to build each other up and you saw the result of that here today.”

Ashland got a double by Makenna Chandler, an RBI-single from Isla McFrederick, and singles by Gracie Ellis (RBI) and Josie VanTilburg.

The Arrows used three pitchers against the Generals in Keagan Slater, Chandler and Emma Puckett.

Puckett, a freshman, tossed three scoreless innings before being touched up for five runs in the seventh inning. She finished with five strikeouts and three walks.

“Emma came into the season and said, 'Coach, you want me to pitch,' and I said, 'Yeah, of course, have you not pitched a lot' and she said, 'No, I haven’t,'” VanHorn said “And for her to step up and go into that position that she probably didn’t want to, it’s amazing, and I’m proud of her for doing that.

“And here’s the thing, there can be so much negativity around all of this losing, and they can either listen to it and get down on themselves but in the end we believe in them. And they’ve got to know we’re behind them 100%. We’re never going to give up on them. And if they keep playing with the heart I see, that I know that’s in there, they’ll come around, I know they will.”

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Wooster defeat Ashland in OCC softball action