Bloom-Carroll wins fourth consecutive district title

PICKERINGTON – Just like they did on Wednesday in a district semifinal win against Marion Pleasant, the Bloom-Carroll softball found themselves in a one-run game in the sixth inning.

The Bulldogs exploded for nine runs to go an win 11-1. The Bulldogs didn't explode for that many runs during Friday's Division III district final against West Jefferson, but they did score three runs to get some breathing room.

That was more than enough for senior pitcher Taran Alvelo, who finished with a season-high 19 strikeouts, and Bloom-Carroll went on to clinch its fourth consecutive district championship with a 5-1 win over the Roughriders at Pickerington Central.

Bloom-Carroll (24-4) will play at 5 p.m. Thursday in a regional semifinal at Bellefontaine High School.

For Alvelo — who became the state's all-time career strikeout leader earlier this season and now has 365 strikeouts this year — Friday's district title was special.

"There is a little more meaning each year and the first time you get there it is special, but it is hard to get back each year," Alvelo said. "You just have to keep pushing and pushing as a team and keep fighting.

We have something special here and it's hard to break. It means a lot , especially for the seniors since it is our last year."

Alvelo was dominant from the start. She gave up three hits, with two of those being infield hits. She struck out the side in five times, including the seventh inning.

Even with that, it was a struggle for the Bulldogs to score runs early. They loaded the bases in the second inning, but couldn't score, and they had the bases loaded with no outs in the fourth inning. But two ground outs led to force outs at home. However, McKenna Coffman finally got Bloom-Carroll on the board when hit a hard shot that ricochet off the pitcher's leg.

"We put the ball in play, so I knew it was just a matter of time," Bloom-Carroll coach We hit the ball hard, but it was right at them. We kept the pressure on and finally came through with the big hit."

The Bulldogs made it 2-0 in the fifth when Hunter Gladman had a sacrifice fly that scored Kipley Detwiler, who had walked earlier in the inning. After the Roughriders (19-7) score a run on two hits in the sixth to cut the deficit to 2-1, Gladman responded with a huge two-out hit in the bottom of the inning that scored two runs. Detwiler also had an RBI in the inning.

"I was just focused on trying hit the ball on the ground so we could at least get one run," said Gladman, who finished with two hits and three RBIs. "I was really focused in. I think confidence played a big part for all of us. We work well as a team and believe that we are going to get the job done."

Alvelo added: "Hunter came into the season struggling a little bit and she didn't really know what her role was, but she definitely made a spot for herself and she has done a great job of proving herself and that showed (Friday)."

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