Photo by Kim North Martins Ferry’s Samantha Goddard, middle front with helmet, walks back to the dugout with teammates Averie Hughes, far left, Tori Long, left, and Giana Chirpas. Goddard had hit a leadoff home run in the second inning of the Purple Riders’ 20-5 loss to West Muskingum on Monday.

MARTINS FERRY – For the second time in five years, a group of Tornadoes touched down high atop the Purple City on Monday. However, as in the previous disaster, there were no lives lost and no property damaged but Martins Ferry’s fine softball season once again came to an abrupt halt.

West Muskingum, the No. 3 seed, hit four home runs and then scored 12 runs on 11 hits in the top of the fifth to stun the second-seeded Purple Riders, 20-5, in an Ohio Eastern District semifinal that lasted just five innings.

“They are a good hitting team and they hit the ball hard,” a disappointed Martins Ferry head coach Jerry Magistro said of the Tornadoes. “It was just one of those days.”

In 2021, the No. 14 seeded Tornadoes shocked the top-seeded Purple Riders, 10-9, in the first round of the Division III sectional tournament.

West Muskingum scored four runs in its first at-bat as Gabbi Hammer drove in Daylee Foster with a sacrifice fly after an error allowed the inning to continue. Calie Smith then doubled before winning pitcher Kadie Bare sent a fly ball to deep center. Martins Ferry’s Samantha Goddard leaped high at the fence to snag the ball but when she collided with the fence the ball popped out of her glove and over the fence as the lead became 4-0.

“We should have been out of that inning without giving up any runs,” Magistro recalled. “I think that set the tone. If we would’ve gotten out of that inning … we should’ve gotten out of it … I think it would have been a different game, but we didn’t and that’s part of the game.”

Martins Ferry (23-5) got single runs in the first and second innings to cut the deficit in half. Abbey Snedeker’s sacrifice scored Maddie Lucas in the first and Goddard slugged a leadoff homer in the second.

The Tornadoes (17-8) entered the contest with 38 home runs collectively. They added to that total early and often as they went back-to-back-to-back in the top of the third to take a 7-2 lead. Lucas served up the first two long balls to Lydiah Huey and Hammer before Snedeker relieved. Smith greeted her with a blast over the fence in left.

The Purple Riders, who only had three seniors on the roster, scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to pull to within 8-4, as Maddie Lucas singled in a run and the second crossed on an error. They had the bases loaded with two outs but couldn’t get the big hit when they needed it.

West Muskingum blew the game wide open in the fifth when it sent 17 batters to the plate. Twelve of them scored on 11 base hits and Martins Ferry helped out with five errors as the game got out of hand.

“As long as I’ve been coaching, you never want to say goodbye to your seniors,” Magistro explained. “You are around some of them all year round. It’s hard to say goodbye to them. I thanked them for what they’ve done over the last four years.”

Those seniors included Snedeker, Goddard and Averie Hughes.

Snedeker homered in the bottom of the fifth to cap the scoring.

The Tornadoes belted out 21 hits, with nine being for extra-bases. Two players – Huey and Hammer – combined for eight hits and six RBI. Foster had three hits and three runs batted in.

West Muskingum advances to play No. 1 seed Tusky Valley (24-2) on Wednesday at a site to yet be determined.