Bulldog Sports Rounds-up
- Published: April 23, 2015
SOFTBALL
Girls rally, but fall to Ponitz
The Yellow Springs High School softball team had its home opener last Thursday against Ponitz. After shrugging off a long delay, YSHS fell behind 7–0 in the first inning and attempted to overcome the big deficit behind a monster home run by sophomore catcher Danny Horton and six strong innings pitched by Jesi Worsham to end the game. But it wasn’t enough, and the Bulldogs lost 12–6.
“This team never gives up,” Coach Jim DeLong said after the loss. He added that the pitcher, Worsham is a “real gamer on the mound.” She couldn’t get her rhythm in the first inning after the long delay, but then regrouped and then dominated the Ponitz hitters after to keep YSHS in the game, DeLong said. Over the last six innings, the Bulldogs outscored Ponitz 6–5 as Worsham allowed only one hit and struck out eight over the final six innings.
After scoring one run in the first inning, YSHS was able to plate three runs in the fourth in an inning sparked by a long two-run home run by Horton, who had a “mammoth shot that rolled at least 350 feet in the outfield before the outfielders could chase it down,” according to DeLong.
Allison Bothwell got on base to start the seventh inning and scored a run, but the team left the bases loaded as the game ended. Other leading hitters for the Bulldogs were freshman Kadie Lafferty, who was on base three times with four stolen bases and one run scored, Jesi Worsham, who was on base twice and had two stolen bases and a run scored, and center fielder Nekyla Hawkins, who was on base four times with four stolen bases and two runs scored.
TRACK
Personal bests at Waynesville
The YSHS boys and girls track and field teams once again achieved a host of personal bests at the recent 13-team Waynesville Invitational track meet. The girls finished fifth and the boys earned a seventh-place finish against division I and division II competition.
Kaner Butler led the boys team with two first-place finishes, in the 110-meter hurdles (16.08) and the 300-meter hurdles (40.99). Runner-up performances were turned in by high jumper Oluka Okia (5´10˝), and the 800-meter relay squad of Bryce White, Heikiem Foy, Cameron Miles and Ed Johnson. In other results, the 400-meter relay team of Aaron Sherwood, White, Foy and Miles finished fifth in 46.78 seconds, and Hayden Orme leaped to 18´7˝ in the long jump, good for sixth place.
For the girls team, Julian Roberts was victorious in the 300-meter hurdles, in 50.12. Shot putter Jasmine Davidson (30´8˝), 100-meter sprinter Dymeisha Banks (13.46) and the 1600-meter relay team of Charlotte Walkey, Roberts, Olivia Brintlinger-Conn and Banks (4:36) came in second place in their events. Also performing well were Amani Wagner, who threw the shot put 29´9.5˝ for third and the 400-meter relay team of Christina Banks, Banks, Brintlinger-Conn and Roberts, which also came in third. Walkey additionally ran the 800-meter race in 2:42.1, good for fourth, and Wagner heaved the discus 89´1˝ to finish fifth.
McKinney boys break records
On Saturday April 18, the McKinney track team competed in Waynesville. The boys as well as the girls placed 12th in the team scoring out of 22 schools participating, including 20 large division I schools.
The 4×100-meter boys relay team (Calum Seiler, Blake Potter, Raven Campbell and Dharma Crocker) improved on its own school record from last week. The new mark is now 55.91 seconds. The record improvement was kind of expected as last week’s exchanges were not optimal, according to Coach Peter Dierauer.
What nobody expected was that the boys 4×400-meter squad (Seiler, Zach Lugo, Campbell and Crocker) would break, on the same day, the 4×400-meter school record (4:41.14) with a time of 4:39.27.
Potter won the bronze medal in the discus with a toss of 97´8˝ and placed fifth in the shot put with a throw of 31´9˝. Freddie Collins placed sixth in the girls 100-meter competition with a time of 14.01 seconds. Her teammate Kayla Brown placed sixth in the 100-meter hurdle race with a time of 19.19 seconds.
BASEBALL
Baseball wins back-to-back
After three rainouts, the Yellow Springs High School baseball team took its new field for the home opener on Wednesday, April 15. The game pitted the Bulldogs against a very tough out-of-conference Cedarville. The last time YSHS faced the Indians, the Bulldogs limped away after four and a half innings down by 30 runs when the game was called by run-rule. This contest would be different. YSHS took the lead early, as they have in every game this year, with Jared Scarfpin getting on base and getting moved around by Donnie “Baseball” Isenberg. Scarfpin was the starting pitcher and was very effective until some good hitting and some fielding miscues put the Indians in front with a lead the Bulldogs could not overcome.
The next day, the Bulldogs faced Ponitz at home. Coach Ben Cooper decided to go with a lineup that allowed many of those on the 19-strong roster that had not yet had the opportunity for significant playing time to get a start. A great catch by outfielder Andi Soriano-Garcia and two fine defensive plays by second baseman Chase Barclay kept the team in the contest early. JT Clark was the starting pitcher and settled in after the first few innings. The Bulldogs never wavered in their confidence that they would win the game. Monster blasts by Ethan DeWine and Tony Marinelli moved the Bulldogs to within striking distance by the seventh inning. Clark grew stronger as the game continued, keeping the Panthers at bay with ten strikeouts over seven innings.
After timely hits by Liam Weigand and Clark, who drove in the tying run by Travis Scarfpin, Jared Scarfpin stepped to the plate. Scarfpin took the Panther’s stopper deep into the count until he got the pitch he wanted and drilled a laser over the right fielder’s head, scoring Zach Brintlinger-Conn for the Bulldogs’ first win of the season and the first comeback win since re-establishing the team in 2013. The Bulldogs spilled onto the field in excitement.
On Saturday, April 18, the Bulldogs kicked off their Metro Buckeye Conference schedule hoping to avenge sweeps by the Xenia Christian Ambassadors in each of the previous two seasons. Coach Cooper sent sophomore Aakeem Truss to the mound with high hopes. The early morning game saw the Ambassadors jump out to an early 1–0 lead. Weigand got the Bulldogs going with a solid double and scored on a hit by Clark in the bottom of the inning. The third inning started with Jared Scarfpin getting on base and scoring. Truss was virtually unhittable for the remainder of the game, giving up only one other unearned run. His ten strikeouts kept the Ambassadors at bay while the Bulldogs came through with another late rally to go ahead with a hit by Blaze Wright, who scored on a double by Scarfpin. Truss was masterful, changing locations and speeds throughout the game, keeping the Ambassadors off balance and frustrated, according to assistant coach Mitch Clark. The game ended on an unbelievable play by Isenberg. A ball got past the diving Weigand who was able to get back to cover first base as Isenberg made the diving stop and popped up with a strong and accurate throw.
The Bulldogs have won back-to-back games for the first time in three years and remain undefeated in MBC.
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