SPORTS

Lancaster comes up short in district final loss

Tom Wilson
Reporter
Lancaster's Justice Ogg snags a high throw at home plate as a Gahanna base runner scores during Friday's game at Pickerington Central High School in Pickerington. The Gales fell to the Lions 9-6.

PICKERINGTON – Even though they were the 23rd seeded team coming into the Division I district tournament, the Lancaster softball team didn't play like it.

The Golden Gales proved a lot of people wrong by reaching the district championship game on Friday against heavily-favored and No. 4 seed Gahanna. Each time it looked as if the Lions were going cruise to an easy victory, Lancaster came storming back.

Even though the Gales kept fighting throughout, they still came up a little short, falling 9-6 at Pickerington Central. It was the third time the two Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division foes have played this season, with the Lions winning all three.

Lancaster (15-11) played well and finished with nine hits, but the Lions had too much fire power. They hit a three-run home run and two-run home run, the second one coming in the sixth inning, which ultimately proved to be the difference in the game.

"We knew (Gahanna) was as a good hitting team and they were going to score some runs," Lancaster coach Gregg Rosser said. "We just needed to be able to answer, not get down and keep playing hard and that's what we did.

"That shows the type of kids that we have. They never gave up and they hung right in there. We competed and we gave them all they wanted."

Gahanna (22-8) put the pressure on right away, scoring two runs in the first inning. The Gales cut it to 2-1 in the third when Brooke Lambert doubled and scored on an RBI single by Justice Ogg. But the Lions answered with a three-run home run in the bottom of the third and added another run in the fourth to push their lead to 6-1.

Lancaster clawed its way back in it in the fifth by scoring three runs to cut the deficit to 6-4. Anne O'Dell and Maddie Wyant singled and Lambert delivered a two-run single. Lambert would eventually score on a sacrifice fly by Justice Ogg.

Gahanna responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning and had a two-run home run in the sixth to push their lead to 9-4. Lancaster scored two runs in the seventh.

Lancaster's Brook Lambert, left, and Cassie Hamilton, right, run the bases during the Golden Gales' game Friday at Pickerington High School in Pickerington. Lancaster lost the game to Gahanna Lincoln 9-6.

Lambert led the Gales with a double and two singles and Katie Heimberger had two hits.

"We started playing well the last couple of weeks and we started hitting on all cylinders," Rosser said. "Hopefully the girls learn from this, and I think they did. We weren't an awe like we were last year when we reached the semifinals. We just played the game and handled all the pressure."

Lancaster could be making a return trip because the Gales return every starter next season.

Lancaster's Camie Shumaker pitchers during Friday's game at Pickerington Central High School in Pickerington. The Golden Gales fell to Gahanna Lincoln 9-6.

twilson@lancastereaglegazette.com

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Twitter: @twil2323