Eastwood junior Jessica Smith, left, is congratulated by junior Delaney Maynard after she scored the game-winning run in the 11th inning during a game against Elmwood Friday at Elmwood High School.
Scott W. Grau | Sentinel-Tribune
BLOOMDALE — With the bases loaded in the top of the 11th, Eastwood senior Kaitlyn Luidhardt’s grounder to third scored junior Jessyca Smith for the winning run as the Eagles defeated Elmwood, 6-5, Friday.
Eastwood improved to 10-1 overall and remained a perfect 4-0 in the Northern Buckeye Conference, while Elmwood suffers its first league loss in three games.
Smith started the rally with a one-out base hit to right field, she advanced to second when junior Delaney Maynard walked, and sophomore Lily Escobedo’s infield single loaded the bases.
All three were batting from the left side of the plate against Elmwood junior pitcher Maddie Milligan, but Luidhardt’s game winning fielder’s choice came from the right side of the plate.
It was the kind of resilience Eastwood needed when they found themselves down 3-1 after Elmwood senior Jordyn Babcock hit a three-run homer in the third inning.
“Our kids didn’t give up,” Eastwood coach Joe Wyant said. “Every time they got a lead, we came back and tied it up. Every time we got a lead, Elmwood came back and tied it up.
“We had one inning where we hit the lead-off batter, had an error, and they hit a three-run homer. That was their three runs, and that was big — two mistakes.”
Down 4-2 entering the top of the seventh, Eastwood scored two runs thanks to base hits by freshman Addy Bowe, Maynard, senior Sam Sibbersen and Luidhardt reaching on an error.
Each team scored a run in the ninth, forcing the game into the 10th inning, which was scoreless, setting up the game-winning heroics by Eastwood’s three left-handed batters.
However, after the Eagles scored the run in the top of the 11th, Eastwood junior pitcher Cassie Kieper and her defense still had the task of shutting the Royals down in the bottom half.
After sophomore Kate Kieffer reached on a base hit to left field, Babcock stepped up to the plate again with two outs. You could hear Wyant yell to his defense that this was the girl who hit the homer.
Babcock lasered a line drive deep to center field, but Smith was there to make the catch, ending the game.
“You have to give credit to Eastwood. They battled and they had a lot of fight,” Elmwood coach Matt Hoiles said.
In addition, the game was played in 60-plus degree weather, but with gusty winds increasing well over 30 miles per hour.
“We are really happy with their attitude and the way they came through in tough conditions,” Wyant said.
For Eastwood, Bowe had a solo home run blast in the fifth, Maynard was 4-for-5 with a solo home run in the ninth, Smith was 2-for-5, and Escobedo and Luidhardt were both 2-for-6.
For Elmwood, Keiffer was 4-for-5, junior Kenzie Science was 2-for-3 and freshman Gracie Ziegler was 2-for-2.
