CLYDE — Mohawk is back in the Division IV softball regional semifinals for the second straight year.
The Lady Warriors bring their stellar 21-4 mark and co-Northern 10 Athletic Conference championship here for a 5 p.m. Wednesday game against the Van Wert Lincolnview (22-4) Lancers.
Lady Warriors coach Mindy Walton has her team ready and has used the small-ball approach effectively, to complement standout hurler Bailey Sheets.
“We got people on, and they were making errors, so we just kept rolling with it,” Walton said after the team’s 11-6 win over Plymouth in the district finals last week.
Sheets has a record of 19-4 with 160 strikeouts and 32 walks. She also carries a .514 batting average.
“Most pitchers you work against get tired as the game goes on,” Walton said. “Bailey is pretty much the opposite. She comes out maybe a little bit weaker, but she really buckles down and gets it going and is stronger by the end of the game.”
She showed that against Plymouth, going 4 and 1/3 innings without giving up a hit.
Mohawk’s hitters did well adjusting to Plymouth’s pitching their second and third times through the lineup.
“It’s just being a little more disciplined at the plate when they got up that second and third time,” Walton said.
“Perfect example, Kendal Bailey. She got up there on that 0-2 pitch, worked herself to a full count and got a base hit. Making the pitcher throw more pitches and getting a hit out of her. That’s wonderful going into regionals when you have girls that can do that — and she’s my number nine.”
Tori Phillips is hitting .475 and has been clutch at shortstop in the past few weeks. First baseman Alysen Young leads the team with 30 RBI and Sheets has 25.
Catcher Lauren Moyer, along with third baseman Brooklen Helton and right fielder Aley Schock, have contributed with timely hits and solid fielding. Phillips, Sheets and Moyer all have scored 28 runs for Mohawk.
Sheets was named first team all-Ohio. She and Phillips were first-team selections all Northwest District. Moyer and Young were honorable mention all-district.
Mohawk, by virtue of its 8-5 win over Carey on Saturday, tied Colonel Crawford atop the N10 with identical 12-2 records.
“I am thankful for a conference like the N10 because we have had so much experience with tough competition,” Walton said. “That really helps prepare us.”
Walton said her squad is hungry to get back to the regionals. The Lady Warriors lost last year 7-5 to West Unity Hilltop, which plays in the other regional semifinal.
The team had several goals entering the season.
“First was to be at the top of our league. Our next goal was get to regionals and make it out of regionals. The seniors have been here last year. We made it to the regional semi, but we didn’t make it past that point.”
Regarding the regionals, Walton said she had taken a look at it briefly prior to the district finals game.
“I know that we are going up against Lincolnview. We went down to Minster (18-7) and played them, and lost to them in eight innings, but they got knocked out in the division semi (8-6 in eight innings to Fort Recovery). I was kind of expecting them to come out of that region.
“So, we have a little bit of studying to do, to find out what we’re coming up against next week.”
Head coach Eric Schwab’s team is 22-4 and earned its regional semifinal spot with a 10-5 district final victory Friday against Fort Recovery.
Zadria King had three hits, including a double, and an RBI, Addysen Stevens had two hits, including a triple, and two RBI, Andi Webb had two hits and two RBI and Taylor Post had a hit and three RBI for the Lancers.
Schwab is in his first year, but the school has a good tradition playing in the Northwest Conference. They were 24-4 last year.
In his pre-season comments Schwab said, “With the girls coming off a great finish to their basketball season, we are excited to continue their success on the softball diamond. We have a number of returning players that contributed to last year’s productive season.”
West Unity Hilltop plays Haviland Wayne Trace at 2 p.m. Wednesday, with the winners squaring off Friday at 5 p.m. at Clyde High School for a trip to the state tournament.