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FRANKFORT — The first domino has fallen. But there’s still plenty of work to do.
That was the message Unioto delivered after handing Adena a 6-2 loss in SVC play on Monday — one that catapulted the Shermans (9-3, 6-0 SVC) into sole possession of first place atop the league’s standings.
But to say Monday’s win didn’t mean anything but adding another number to the win column would be foolish.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
Frankfort has been a house of horrors for Unioto’s senior class over the past three seasons. In fact, coming into Monday, Unioto’s seniors were 1-2 on Adena’s diamond while both of the losses came with league title implications on the line.
Now, as their careers wind down, they’ve officially chased the monkey off their backs.
“This [win] means everything, especially because we haven’t won on this field [in quite some time],” senior Megan Miller said. “It’s amazing, especially for our seniors. It gives us a lot of confidence moving forward this season.”
Another senior — one of Unioto’s 10 — jolted the team’s offense.
Ava Dettwiller came into the night swinging a hot bat. Over the Shermans’ past five games, the first baseman was 6-for-13 with two home runs, eight RBIs and five runs scored.
She did nothing to cool down against Adena, going 2-for-2 with a pair of walks and four RBIs.
“She’s not wasting pitches,” Unioto coach Rob Hull said of Dettwiller’s mentality at the plate. “She has that zone and she’s dialed in. She’s worked hard on her swing and she’s learned to go with the pitch a lot more. That comes with maturity. She’s just really dialed in and she’s using the entire field.”
Meanwhile, while Dettwiller provided the fireworks offensively, senior hurler Hannah Hull found a groove and kept Adena’s bats silent.
Hull tossed all seven innings, allowing just five hits and striking out four without surrendering an earned run.
“She pitched 14 innings on Saturday and she had the day off yesterday and said that’s all she needed,” Hull said. “She’s our bulldog. She’s a warrior. She gets locked in and it’s tough to beat her. Day in and day out, she’s going to hit her spots. She’s picked up more velocity this year and for a four-year senior in there, we trust her. She shows she’s a leader in that circle.”
Tale of the tape
Alexis Book and Morgan Daniels began the night by walking and reaching on error. Two batters later, Megan Miller worked a walk to load the bases.
Later, with two outs, Dettwiller stepped to the plate and rocketed a 1-1 offering into center field, clearing the bases and giving the Shermans an early 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, Unioto played add-on.
Halle Uhrig and Amaris Betts each singled to begin the frame. They both scored on a bunt single off the bat of Morgan Daniels — Uhrig on the initial ball in play and Betts on a throwing error — to make it a 5-0 count.
The Shermans’ final run came in the third when Dettwiller muscled a ball into left field to bring around Haylee Hull, who had doubled earlier in the inning.
Adena (11-3, 4-1 SVC) finally graced the scoreboard in the bottom half of the sixth.
Emma Garrison worked a five-pitch walk before Hailey Howard reached on error. Sophie Cheesebrew then singled to bring in Garrison, cutting the deficit to 6-1. The next batter, Caroline Corcoran, then laid down a sacrifice bunt to score another, rounding out the 6-2 final.
“I tell ya … [Adena] is a good ball club,” Hull said. “Coming over here and finally getting a win, that shows a lot about these girls. We don’t like to look ahead. But we knew the magnitude of this game coming in. It is a confidence booster for us. I liked the way our girls battled all day.”
Stat book
Following Dettwiller’s final stat line was Haylee Hull, who was 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles and a run. Betts also collected two hits, going 2-for-3 with a run, while Book and Miller were both 1-for-3 with a run scored.
The Warriors were led offensively by Cheesebrew, who was 1-for-3 with an RBI, while Garrison, Kiera Williams, Mady Halcomb and A Nelson all collected a base hit.
What’s on tap
Both teams are back in league action on Wednesday.
While Adena attempts to get back on the winning track with a trip to Westfall, Unioto plays host to Huntington.
“Last year, I think we peaked early and went through a downward turn towards the latter portion of the season before getting really hot there at the end,” Hull said. “This year, I think we’re more mentally stable and we’re able to understand how to make adjustments at the plate and what to do. Keeping their focus moving forward, I don’t have to say anything to this group. They understand what they have to do to win. They’re a blast to be around and they’re a blessing.”
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