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Monroe Central doubles up Shadyside, 10-5

SHADYSIDE CATCHER Tory Hendershot awaits Monroe Central’s Kynzi Bishop (17) during the second inning of Thursday’s game in Woodsfield. Bishop was out on the play, but the Seminoles doubled up the visiting Tigers, 10-5. Home plate umpire Kelly Rine watches the play.

WOODSFIELD — The last two Ohio Valley teams to win an Ohio state softball championship squared off Thursday at Rosie Hall Field as Shadyside and Monroe Central battled not only each other, but the weather, as well. The Seminoles were Division III kingpins in 2004, while the Cinderella Tigers claimed their D-IV crown 11 years later.

The contest started a few minutes early because of impending weather and was played throughout a steady mist and whipping winds. When it was all said and done, Monroe Central doubled up Shadyside, 10-5, to complete a regular-season sweep.

“Our bats are finally coming around. We’ve been working on them all spring,” Monroe Central head coach Michael Brock said. “We had some girls step up tonight and hit the ball really good.”

He was referring to Regan Hamilton and and Brookelynn Grubb. The tandem totalled four hits and four runs batted in. Grubb, a promising freshman, recorded two singles and a double that produced a trio of runs, while Hamilton, a junior, slugged a towering three-run homer to left that highlighted a five-run sixth.

“That’s the first real solid hit she has had so far,” Brock said of Hamilton’s no-doubter. “We know she is capable. She did it as a freshman.”

Grubb singled in a run in the second as the hosts took a 1-0 lead.

That advantage was short-lived as Shadyside (4-3) scored four times in the top of the third. An error allowed the first run to cross the plate and Gentry Brown made it 2-1 with a single to left. Bella Honeywell ripped a two-run blast to deep left-center that hit off the roof of a car. It was the sophomore’s sixth roundtripper in seven games and made it 4-1.

“She is a beast. She puts the work in and hits all year long,” Shadyside head coach Jillian Ongley said of Honeywell.

The Seminoles (5-2) took a 5-4 in the bottom of the frame as Kalista Friday’s bases-clearing double to right-center made it 4-all. Grubb then lined a two-out double to left to drive in Friday with the go-ahead tally.

Mary Smith’s RBI single in the top of the fifth once again deadlocked things, but the hosts exploded in the sixth.

Kyra English doubled in a run before Hamilton launched her drive well over the fence down the leftfield line.

“The girls are working hard. We’re still young and still learning. We hope to get batter with each game,” Brock added.

Trista Morris, Liz Roderick and Makenna Matz all singled twice for Monroe Central. Roderick was effective except for the third inning.

“Except for that one inning, everything looked good from Liz,” Brock said of Roderick, who struck out three and walked a pair.

Three of Shadyside’s five hits came in the third. The other two in the fifth.

“We’re young. We’re still adjusting and moving players around in every game trying to get that right connection,” Ongley said. “We’re getting there. Our offense carries us, but we’ve got to cut down on the errors. We’ve been making way too many.”

Monroe Central hosts Shenandoah today at 5 p.m. Shadyside welcomes Buckeye Local Saturday at 11 a.m.

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