By Drew Terhall

Dailyadvocate.com

NEW MADISON — The one seeded Lady Patriots move on in the OHSAA Division IV Softball Southwest Sectional with a 17-1 win over 15th seed Twin Valley South on May 9 at home.

Sophomore Elizabeth Poling set a new school record for strikeouts in a season with 116 and counting. The previous record was 115 held by Lindsey Burns-Lawrence in the early 2000s.

Head coach Emily Osborne said Poling has worked towards earning this record. She started to throw a bit harder once she knew she was close to the record.

“She’s been working hard for it. That was a goal she had at the beginning of the season. She knew she was that close to it. You could tell, she had a little bit more momentum with being so close to it,” Osborne said.

Twin Valley South scored their first and only run of the game in the top of the first inning. Osborne said she thought the fielding was a bit shaky at first while the team adjusted to the wet field conditions.

Then the bats started to go for the Lady Patriots. They scored five runs in the bottom of the first.

Freshman Emma Greer tied the game with a RBI single. Freshman Mylee Bierly gave Tri-Village the lead on a sacrifice flyout. Sophomore Hailey Burk, freshman Kaley Brandon and sophomore Aereonna Baker each had a RBI single to follow.

The Lady Patriots scored another run in the second inning off an error to go up 6-1. Osborne said the team got back to their bread and butter after the top of the first, get the bats going and play great defense behind Poling.

“The hitting came alive and that’s what we’ve kind of leaned on. Playing behind Liz and getting our bats going,” Osborne said.

Six more runs came across the plate in the third inning. Baker drove in a run on a double and then scored on a passed ball. Greer drove in another run. Senior Kiersten Wilcox drove in a run on a triple. Sophomore Camryn Osborne and Bierly both drove in a run to go up 12-1.

In the bottom of the fourth, Tri-Village had bases loaded with no outs. Sophomore Tai Mize walked in a run to get the scoring going again. Greer drove in her third and fourth run of the game with a two-run double. Wilcox and Camryn Osborne both drove in a run to go up 17-1.

With the field already wet and a down pour starting at the top of the fifth inning, the game was called.

Poling finished the game with five strikeouts and pitched all four innings.

Tri-Village will host the winner of 21st seed Fairlawn and sixth seed Tri-County North on May 14 at 5 p.m. The Lady Patriots 20-1 on the season with a 10-0 WOAC record. They are two wins away from breaking the school record for wins in a season.

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