By Drew Terhall

Dailyadvocate.com

UNION CITY — The 14th seed Mississinawa Valley softball team end their season with a 22-3 loss to 16th seed Lehman Catholic on May 8 in the OHSAA Division IV Softball Southwest Sectional.

Just like they were to end the season, the team was without their only pitcher in freshman Ella Godfrey. Head coach Max Guillozet said they needed to make the routine plays behind whoever was on the mound.

Sophomores Makenna and Cora Hoggatt and senior Kenzea Townsend all warmed up before the game in case they were needed. Guillozet gave credit to each of those girls for being the three to step up and play out of position.

“I’ve said this before, this game is 85-90% pitching. It’s what I told the Hoggatt twins and Kenzea Townsend after the game, ‘You three stepped up and tried. You did the best you could do.’ That’s all you could ask. That’s what they did,” Guillozet said.

Lehman Catholic scored five runs in the first inning after a shaky start by the Mississinawa Valley defense.

The Lady Blackhawks did get one run back on a RBI double by freshman Emma Brock.

In the second inning, Lehman Catholic drove in two more runs on a two-run hit. Mississinawa Valley came back in the bottom of the inning with another run on a RBI single by junior Stephanie De La Torre.

Mississinawa Valley started to make plays in the middle innings and kept the score close. Two more runs scored by Lehman Catholic in the third inning made it a 9-2 game.

Guillozet said while Lehman Catholic made the plays to win the game, his team did make some plays as well. For the first time this season, they did get junior Caiden Fritz back after an ACL injury. Guillozet said she made an impact in center field and was just cleared to play.

Lehman Catholic took full control of the game with a 13-run fifth inning. The team did all they could, but couldn’t stop the run early.

Mississnawa Valley did score one more run in the bottom of the fifth inning. Fritz drove in a run on a RBI single.

The team finishes the season with a 6-10 record and a 4-7 WOAC record. They won four more games this season compared to last season. Guillozet said the team was plagued by errors and injuries all season long, but the team kept fighting through it.

The team will graduate three seniors, Townsend, Makenna Guillozet and Tori Cooley.

Guillozet said Townsend leaves the program with a school record seven home runs in a career. He also said Makenna has been their shortstop and lead off hitter, two important positions on the team. Guillozet said Cooley always brings a positive energy and is upbeat in the dug out.

Guillozet said all three will be missed.

“I can’t say enough about the three seniors. Really anybody that’s on the team,” Guillozet said.

Contact Daily Advocate sports editor Drew Terhall at [email protected].