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CHILLICOTHE — There aren’t many freshman pitchers that can do what Jaiden White did on Monday.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Entering a Division III district championship game, Adena boasted of five different players hitting over .470. White, however, kept her poise and gave those bats a night off.
The first-year hurler held the Warriors to four hits through seven innings of work, laying the groundwork for a 3-2 win — one that marked the Jeeps’ second consecutive district crown.
“Overall, a good game from the girls,” South Webster coach Andy Messer said. “We played good defensively, we would’ve liked to put up a few more runs and we had a few base-running blunders, but overall, we played a good game. Our defense has been a strong point.”
The Jeeps (22-4) made just one error in the field while White whiffed four hitters.
Adena (23-4) had a golden opportunity to force a tie in the bottom of the seventh inning but the freshman slammed the door shut, inducing a groundout to seal the victory.
“Jaiden’s strong,” Messer said. “She has very good command of her pitches and she was up to the challenge tonight. We challenged her to step it up to another level and she did that.”
South Webster opened the scoring in the top of the third inning.
Skyler Zimmerman laced an RBI single back up the gut before Addi Claxon — who had singled before Zimmeran’s base hit — scored on a wild pitch to put the Jeeps ahead 2-0.
Claxon was on base three times and consistently wreaked havoc on the base paths.
“She’s dynamic. She’s a little stick of dynamite,” Messer said. “She’s got some fire in her and she just puts the ball in play. She’s aggressive, she loves the game and she gives one-hundred percent in everything she does, both defensively and offensively.”
The Jeeps purchased much-needed insurance in the fourth when Makayla Raynard singled to score Lauren Kaltenbach, making it 3-0.
In the bottom half of the fourth, the Warriors got on the scoreboard when Greenlee Bossert logged an RBI single to plate Kiera Williams, who had reached on a walk.
That 3-1 count stayed intact until the bottom of the seventh inning.
Bossert led off the Warriors’ final at-bat with a double down the left field line before scoring on a base hit via Caroline Corcoran, who moved into scoring position on the next pitch thanks to a sacrifice bunt.
But with the tying run standing at second base, White got a flyout and a groundout to end the scoring threat and the Warriors’ season in the process.
“It’s a big win. The second district title [in as many years] and I think the program is headed in the right direction,” Messer said. “The 20-win season is the first time ever in modern history. We’re celebrating that. We’ve always had that as a goal for us. The team is rolling.”
Statistically, Zimmerman led South Webster, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Claxon followed, going 3-for-4 with a double and a run, and Raynard was 1-for-3 with an RBI.
Bossert paced Adena, finishing 2-for-3 with a double, a run and an RBI at the dish. The senior also threw all seven innings, allowing two earned runs on seven hits and striking out eight.
After winning conference and sectional championships, the Warriors’ season comes to a close. Meanwhile, South Webster advances to a Division III regional semifinal against Portsmouth West at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at Unioto.
Two of the Jeeps’ four losses have been handed down by the Senators — a 6-2 final on March 27 and a 13-10 tally on April 17.
“I think the good thing is that the bottom of our lineup has been coming along,” Messer said. “So we’re going to have to put balls in play, string hits together and not leave runners stranded, like we did in the beginning of the year. That was a big thing for us. That would take us out of the game. So as long as we can cash in and play defense, I think we’ll be OK.”
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