Findlay — Making back-to-back appearances in the regional semifinal, the Galion Lady Tigers came in focused and avenged last year’s semifinal loss.
Galion’s Madelyn Thomas pitched a complete game shutout, earning career victory number 48 — breaking the school record in her junior season — en route to a 12-0 victory over the Sherwood Fairview Lady Apaches.
Thomas scattered seven base runners, and three hits across five innings of work. The junior in the circle only had to work with traffic one time, and that came in the fifth inning.
The only scoring opportunity for the Lady Apaches came in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, and two on, Fairview (21-2) had an opportunity to keep the game from being run-ruled. With Sami Kime on third base, and Anna Ankney on first, Kinsey Dietrich let a wild pitch go by all the way to the back stop.
Thomas covered home with a charging Kime running to score. It appeared Kime would be safe, but on the slide, Kime came up short of home plate along with the Lady Apaches’ hopes of extending their season.
Senior Gracie Groves started the scoring in the second inning for Galion. Kate Schieber singled and moved to third on an Emily Sedmak double. Groves came up to the plate and recorded a sacrifice fly for the RBI.
The onslaught started with three runs for the Lady Tigers in the inning on three hits. In the fourth inning, it continued, chasing the Lady Apaches starter Logan Smith from the game. Smith completed three innings of work giving up six hits and five runs, along with two walks. Galion batted around in the fourth and Groves got her second, 2-out RBI double in as many innings, and the Lady Tigers scored four more runs on four hits.
The Lady Tigers would put the game out of reach, and scoring four more times in the fifth, batting around for the second inning in a row, and seven straight Galion hitters reached base with three straight RBI singles off the bats of Nicki Thomas, Neveah Clark, and Kate Schieber. Groves had the team-high six RBIs for Galion, reaching with two doubles, a walk, and a sacrifice fly.
Galion (23-4) has scored 26 runs in its last two games against Bucyrus and Fairview, along with only giving up three runs to the Lady Redmen. Madelyn Thomas has pitched 12 innings in the past two games, only giving up the three runs and seven hits, while striking out 11.
Galion will try to get avenge against last year’s semifinal 9-2 loss to the Cardington Lady Pirates, who beat Eastwood 3-0 in the nightcap. A trip to the State tournament is on the line back at Findlay on Saturday at noon.