By Dan Messerschmidt
CCN Sports Director

FINDLAY — The surprise guest at the party was Galion. The result wasn’t what the Tigers had hoped for but the experience for the young team was invaluable.

Cardington scored three runs in each of the first two innings and went on to a 9-2 victory in the Division III regional softball tournament at Findlay High School.

“I’m super excited for the girls to come out here and do what they did,” Galion coach Doug Hunt said. “We didn’t get there, but it’s a roadmap. That’s what we told the ladies after the game.”

With only 11 players on the roster — no seniors and only three juniors — the Tigers were probably a year ahead of schedule on making it to the regional level.

“It’s possible to do something with 11 varsity players,” Hunt said. “But this is our varsity, jayvee and freshmen (teams) rolled into one.”

Galion (16-7) was facing a veteran Cardington team that had beaten them 6-1 in a regular season encounter and has been to the regionals before.

The Pirates took control in the bottom of the first. Brooklyn Whitt led off with a single and Kierson George walked. Baylee Adams blasted an opposite field home run over the left centerfield fence to give Cardington (24-3) a 3-0 lead.

As it turned out, that was all Pirates’ starter Casey Bertke would need. The sophomore right-hander struck out five, walked one while scattering eight hits. Only one run of the two was earned.

Cardington struck for three unearned runs in the second. Tigers’ pitcher Madilyn Thomas retired the first two batters in the frame before George tripled. Two Galion errors and Rylie Partlow’s two-run double made it 6-0.

A walk, a single and Bertke’s double in the fourth expanded Cardington’s lead to 8-0 before the Tigers finally dented the board with two in the fifth.

Kate Schieber and Neveah Clark singled to start the inning before Emily Sedmak sacrificed, scoring Schieber, who had gone to third on Clark’s single. Clark then came home on an error.

“It’s been a grind, especially with the spring we had,” assistant coach Todd Galownia said. “You’re playing, you’re not playing. Fortunately, we had no injuries until today.”

Clark tweaked her knee and was forced to leave the game in the fifth inning. Word on the extent of the injury awaited the results of an MRI.

The Tigers had chances, but never could get the key hit. They left eight runners, including the bases loaded in the fourth, when Pirates’ left fielder George made a backhand, over-the-shoulder catch of Gabby Kaple’s shot headed for the gap in left-center field to end the inning.

Schieber and Kayden Caudill had two hits each for Galion. Kaple, Thomas, Clark and Maddie Harmon singled. Thomas struck out struck out three and walked five. However, the Tigers committed five errors behind her.

Adams homered, George tripled, and Partlow doubled twice. Whitt doubled and had three hits, and Bertke doubled to lead the Pirates’ offense.

“We looked out at the crowd. The community was excited,” Galownia said. “There were kids in the stands that should have played, could have played, that probably want to be part of that.”

“We lost to a very good Cardington team,” Hunt said. “They’ve been there before.”

The Pirates will play Eastwood for the regional title Saturday at noon back at Findlay.

208-530-3035

Galion            000 020 0      2    8    5

Cardington   330 201 X      9   12    1

WP: Casey Bertke (5 SO, 1 W)

LP: Madilyn Thomas (3 SO, 5 W)

HR: (C) Baylee Adams (3-run, first inning).

Triples: (C) Kierson George.

Doubles: (C) Rylie Partlow 2, Casey Bertke, Brooklyn Whitt.

Multiple hits: (G) Kate Schieber, Kaden Caudill; (C) Brooklyn Whitt 3, Kierson George, Rylie Partlow.

Records: Galion 16-7; Cardington 24-3.

Next: Galion season over; Cardington vs. Eastwood, Saturday noon, Division III regional final, at Findlay.