Maysville falls short with bases loaded in final at bat

• Vierstra was able to snag Lingle%27s head-high shot and quickly throw to third for the double play
• Madison Riggle allowed seven hits%2C struck out three and walked three.

PICKERINGTON – Maysville went down fighting Thursday, like it has all season.

Pitcher Courtney Vierstra speared Caitlyn Lingle's hard liner with one out and the bases loaded, throwing to third for the game-ending double play. It preserved Lakewood's 4-1 Division II regional semifinal win against the Panthers at Pickerington Central.

Losing pitcher Madison Riggle was hit by a pitch and scored in the bottom of the seventh for Maysville (18-11) and Madeline Foster doubled. But Lakewood (30-1) held on and will face Fairfield Union (16-4) at noon Saturday for a state berth.

"All year long, we've played that way," Panthers' coach Greg Vaughn said. "I'm proud of this team. They've come a long way. Halfway through the season, not many thought Maysville was going to be in the regional."

Dominated the entire game by Vierstra, a 6-foot sophomore, the Panthers sprang to life in the bottom of the seventh after being one-hit through six innings. Riggle was hit by a pitch and went to third when Foster doubled into the right-center gap. Taylor Balderson then beat out an infield hit, loading the bases.

After Megan Frank popped out to Vierstra, Kori Sidwell reached on an error by the second baseman as Riggle scored. But Vierstra was able to snag Lingle's head-high shot and quickly throw to third for the double play, suddenly ending the comeback.

"Who knows what happen if that gets through?" Vaughn said. "They're as good as anyone we've played, and we've played Division I teams."

Brenna Brownfield hit a two-run, first-inning homer for the Lancers, ranked No. 1 in the statewide coaches' poll for much of the season. Then, freshman Megan Davis added a two-run shot in the sixth for what turned out to be big insurance runs. In between, Riggle pitched well.

Vierstra, meanwhile, allowed only one baserunner the first five innings, and that was on an error. Sydney Shreve blooped a single to right leading off the sixth for Maysville's first hit.

"We basically got beat by two swings of the bat," Vaughn said. "But they're just a good team, and she (Vierstra) is a good pitcher. I was a little disappointed in how we approached our at bats early. We didn't put much pressure on her, but we finally started to gauge her there at the end."

Riggle allowed seven hits, struck out three and walked three.

"We knew she was a good pitcher coming in, a very good pitcher," said Lakewood coach Criss Nadolson. "You have someone like her, you're going to be in the game. We hit two two-run homers off her, and I doubt that has happened much."

After a second consecutive regional semifinal loss, Vaughn expects the Panthers to be back for a third time.

"Our pitcher is back, and even though we lose our catcher and a couple of other seniors, we played a lot of young kids," he said.

dweidig@newarkadvocate.com

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Twitter: @noz75