AKRON (Crawford County Now) — Disappointment, tempered with a healthy dose of optimism.
That was the sentiment of Mohawk’s head coach Mindy Walton and her team in the aftermath of a 9-2 state semifinal loss to Portsmouth Notre Dame at Firestone Stadium Thursday afternoon.
“Making it to the Final Four is obviously an accomplishment in itself. Three-peat N10 titles and back-to-back regional championships. It’s hard to be sitting in this place again not moving on to tomorrow,” she said.
“That was the goal and we didn’t meet it. We had some chances early in the game with runners in scoring position and couldn’t capitalize on that. We couldn’t get the bats out today.”
Mohawk (26-4) was held to 3 hits by Titans ace Ava Rush, who produced 13 strikeouts and two walks (one intentional).
“Ten hits to our 3. That speaks to their pitcher obviously. All the pitchers that are here are great pitchers. She kept us off balance.
“Happy to be back here, but obviously disappointed. Hopefully, this gives some drive to our younger girls. We return everybody next year and we’ll give it a go then,” Walton said.
Notre Dame (27-5) started off with an Alayla Soard solo home run over the 215-foot center field fence in the first inning.
The game remained that way until the top of the sixth inning.
Notre Dame broke it open with 4 runs on 4 hits, the big ones being a two-out Ava Rush single that drove in two runs and kept the inning going. Bella Rush followed with a rocket shot down third base that got to the fence, resulting in a triple and a 5-0 lead.
Aubrey Gottfried took the loss with 7 Ks and 4 walks.
“It would have been a lot better if we could have hit the ball, but it happens,” Gottfried said.
“She (Rush) pitched an amazing game, and her team did great on getting her the ball. Her change-up was great and she threw a lot of outside pitches. They knew what was coming and they hit their gaps.”
Mohawk answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Katie Woodland connected on an RBI double to drive in Emily Brickner. Gottfried drove Woodland in on a groundout.
With the win, the Titans seek a second straight championship taking on Courtland Maplewood at 8 p.m. Friday. Maplewood (28-2) downed South Charleston Southeastern 4-0 in the other semifinal game.
Notre Dame head coach Shad Ford’s team was in familiar grounds, as was Mohawk.
“Overall a team victory. It took us a while to get started. Just proud of our team and how they fought,” he said.
“It helps. We knew the stadium. The girls were familiar with it, that makes it easier. The echoes and the roars, out hitting in the cages.”
ND added 4 runs in the seventh inning. Soard hit a two-RBI double, and Ava Rush added a two-RBI single, giving her 4 RBI.
“I just focused on being on time. Our last game against Conotton Valley and before that Strasburg, the pitchers were throwing hard, maybe 60, 63,” Rush said. “Today we had to get back to not being out front, just being on time and hitting line drives.”
Mohawk had its chances but stranded 4 runners to Notre Dame’s 5. The Lady Warriors left runners at second and third base in the fourth, trailing 1-0.
“We had ’em shut down through four or five innings. We had those runners in scoring position and if we had plated a couple more there it puts the pressure on them and the momentum back on our side,” Walton said.
Megan Johnson doubled sharply down the right field line in the fifth and moved to third on a passed ball. But she was unable to score.
Mallory and Emily Brickner have been cornerstones all season. Mallory Brickner fired a rocket to pick off a Notre Dame runner in the second inning.
“It felt really cool to come back. Us four, (with Gottfried and Woodland) we have been playing together since we were little,” Mallory said. “It didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”
“We play year-round, basically. Nine months,” Emily added. “It really shows, I think.”
Enter the optimism.
“With all of us returning next year, I think we’ll be better prepared and have a really good shot at coming back again,” Woodland said.
Walton echoed that statement.
“I told them when you show up in the gym in February, I already know. I can look at you and know who’s been playing in the off-season and who hasn’t.
“We have girls on our team who don’t play travel ball. So it’s hard to get reps. There are ways to overcome that. I hope they take what we said in the circle seriously because you never know what next year brings,” Walton said.
The junior core knows it’s their job to bring along younger players.
“We need to boost their ego; talk them up,” Emily Brickner said.
Gottfried owns numerous school and Northern 10 Athletic Conference pitching records and had a stellar campaign.
“I know my role and I think everyone who’s coming back will be more confident. They will understand more what they need to do without second-guessing themselves,” she said.
Off-season lifting and hitting in a batting cage at the Brickners’ house have helped build a team bond, they said.
“We all get in there and work out,” Emily said.
The player-led focus is welcomed by Walton.
“That’s not me. That’s them. They take care of that piece. I’ll hear bits and pieces about it at practice. That speaks to them, how they came up and how the community has supported us for years and years of Mohawk tradition,” she said.
“They’ve just bought in from the time they were freshmen and continue to do great things.”
Box score
Notre Dame 100 004 4 9 10 0
Mohawk 000 002 0 2 3 0
WP: Ava Rush (13 SO, 2 W)
LP: Aubrey Gottfried (7 SO, 4 W)
HR: (ND) Alayla Sword (solo, first inning).
Triples: (ND) Avah Rush, Bella Rush.
Doubles: (ND) Bella Rush (M) Katie Woodland, Megan Johnson.
Multiple hits: (ND) Bella Rush 3, Ava Rush, Alayla Soard.
Records: Notre Dame 27-5; Mohawk 26-4.
Next: Mohawk season over; Notre Dame Maplewood, Division VII state final at Akron Firestone Stadium, Friday, 8 p.m.