MILLER CITY – The Wapakoneta softball team showed why they are ranked as the No. 8 Division II team in the state Wednesday in district semi-final action at Miller City.
The Redskins showed solid defense, strong hitting, and another outstanding pitching performance by Megan Fisher as they cruised to a 10-0 run rule win over Bryan.
Wapakoneta (20-4) will gladly make the return trip to Miller City to play Napoleon Saturday at noon with a chance to win their first ever district softball title.
Fisher retired the Golden Bears one-two-three in the top of the first inning and the Redskins wasted little time taking control of the game as they posted a four-run first inning.
Fisher began the onslaught with a lead-off double and Grace Jolly singled. Blasia Moyler drove home Fisher with a fielders’ choice ground ball and Savannah Oen reached via a walk. Lexi Jacobs singled to drive home Jolly and the bases were loaded with only one out and the Redskins decided to go to small ball.
Back to back bunts by Emma Miller and Socorro Cerda drove home runs and Wapakoneta owned a 4-0 lead after one inning of play.
The Golden Bears would get their only hit of the game (and only base-runner) in the top of the second when the Bryan batter got a ball into the wind and it fell past the right fielder for a triple with one out.
But Fisher would strike out the next batter and get the third out on a harmless ground ball back to the mound to hold the Golden Bears at bay.
The Redskins plated four more runs in the second inning thanks to hits by Oen, Jacobs, and Miller. Bryan chipped in with two errors in the inning as the Wapakoneta lead grew to 8-0 after two innings of play.
Fisher retired the side in the third, fourth, and fifth innings without allowing a single Golden Bear to reach base. Fisher, who improved to 16-3 on the season, displayed an outstanding fastball and kept the Bryan hitters befuddled with a dazzling change-up. She threw 70 pitches in the contest with 49 of them for strikes.
“I like to mix up my pitches and my change-up worked really well,” Fisher said. “I am ready to go for Saturday.”
Mackenzie Short led off the Redskins third inning with a single and came around to score the 9th Wapakoneta run of the game.
The Redskins made it a run-rule game when Jacobs drove home Moyler in the fifth inning to make the score 10-0.
Jacobs had three hits and three runs batted in for the game while Jolly added two singles to the Wapakoneta 10-hit attack.
“We are an offensive team; the girls love to hit.” Wapakoneta coach Bill Sammons said. “We also have defense and pitching this year. Fisher mixes her pitches so well, she gets batters thinking and then good things happen.”
The Redskins and Napoleon split a double header earlier in the season with each team earning a one-run win.
“They (Napoleon) are a very good team,” Sammons said. “We hope we can play our best game Saturday.”
