Southern Ohio Sports Authority is presented by OhioHealth.
CHILLICOTHE — On multiple occasions Thursday night, Chillicothe had a golden chance to push a run across the plate.
But in each instance, Unioto’s Kendal Walker slammed the door shut.
The Shermans’ senior hurler meticulously threaded together seven shutout innings in the circle to carry her teammates to a 1-0 victory — the Cavaliers’ first loss this season — in non-league action.
CREDIT: Derrick Webb/SOSA
And after Unioto (3-4) had suffered a tough-fought, one-run loss to Piketon just 24 hours prior, that performance was exactly what the doctor ordered to get the Shermans back on the mend.
“Last night was a hard loss against Piketon,” Unioto coach Spenser Smith said. “We thought we should’ve won that game. But we moved on and played a great game today. That’s the expectation. All of our girls have been working really hard.”
Perhaps none worked harder than Walker on Thursday.
Allowing just five hits and striking out four hitters, Walker shimmied out of multiple jams — including two bases-loaded situations in both the fifth and sixth innings.
“Kendal’s biggest thing is consistency,” Smith said. “If she can be consistent and throw strikes, while changing speeds and hitting spots, she’s a good pitcher. She works really hard at it. She’s a big presence in the circle and she’s talented. But we have to have the pitching and defense working together and tonight, I thought we got better at that.”
Walker worked against Chillicothe’s CJ Rittinger, who was also spectacular all night long, and a true pitcher’s duel took center stage.
The game didn’t even feature a base hit until the bottom of the third inning when Chillicothe’s Vivian Morgan sent a laser into left field. But Morgan was left stranded and the threat was erased — a common theme throughout the night.
PHOTOS: Images from Unioto’s win over Chillicothe
With two outs in the top of the fourth, Unioto’s Macie Cox delivered a screamer that reached the bottom of the left-centerfield fence for the Shermans’ first hit.
Finally, Unioto had something going and Mackenzie Paugh wasn’t going to let that opportunity slip away.
After Kinzli Batson entered the game as a courtesy runner and stole second, Paugh continued to work the count. She sent the seventh pitch she saw into shallow left field and it barely caressed the foul line, sending Batson running home for a 1-0 lead.
“It’s interesting. Every game we played, we haven’t gotten many close calls,” Smith said. “It feels like everything has gone against us so far. So for that ball to go fair, it was huge. And for [Paugh] to battle the whole time, it just shows her toughness. She kept fighting and put it in play and when you put it in play, good things can happen.”
That’s all Walker needed to put away a win — although the Cavaliers didn’t make it easy.
Chillicothe’s Bree Cousins started the fifth by working a walk before back-to-back singles loaded the bases. But Walker settled in, inducing a groundout and two pop-outs to end the inning.
In the sixth, Walker navigated through additional choppy waters.
Isabella Witte singled to begin the frame before Rittinger singled with an out. Later, with two outs, Josie Huddleston walked to juice the bases and again apply pressure. But Walker remained calm before forcing a line out to end the threat.
“We practice hard every single day and I think it’s just these girls believing in themselves and gelling together,” Smith said. “We have talent. We know it’s there. But it’s about getting them to believe that and playing with confidence. When we play with confidence, we’re a pretty good ballclub. The more we get to play, the better we’re going to be.”
Paugh finished the night 1-for-3 at the dish with a double and the game’s lone RBI, Macie Cox was also 1-for-3 and Haylee Hull added a walk and a stolen base to Unioto’s offensive efforts.
The Cavaliers were led by Vivian Morgan, who went 1-for-3 with a stolen base. Meanwhile, in the circle, Rittinger was phenomenal, going the distance while allowing just two hits and whiffing 14.
While Chillicothe (7-1) will attempt to bounce back on Friday evening at Circleville, the Shermans will look to even their record with a trip to Southeastern.
The Panthers enter that contest at 3-6 overall, following a loss to Zane Trace on Wednesday.
“We’ve played in two league games and both have been one-run games,” Smith said. “We’ve come back and had someone come back on us. Southeastern has a great pitcher. So we have to kind of do what we did today, and move on from this win. We have to keep improving and play better.”
SPONSORED BY SHANE MAIER — STATE FARM INSURANCE
