Delphos Jefferson’s Avery Rahrig hits against Columbus Grove during Thursday’s game at Delphos.
Richard Parrish | The Lima News
DELPHOS – How do you answer when a team sends 10 batters to the plate and takes the lead in the top of the sixth inning in a game you led by four runs not just once, but twice?
For Delphos Jefferson’s softball team, the answer was sending 14 batters to the plate and scoring 10 times in the bottom of the same inning.
That rousing response was the turning point in the Wildcats’ 18-11 win over Columbus Grove in the Northwest Conference opener for both teams on Thursday.
“It’s kind of crazy. You go into the inning down one and then have a chance to run rule a team,” Delphos Jefferson coach Doug Geary said.
Jefferson (4-0, 1-0 NWC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. By the middle of the fourth inning, Columbus Grove had caught up at 4-4.
The Wildcats got a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, then got two more in the bottom of the fifth for an 8-4 lead.
But Columbus Grove used three hits, two walks, two Jefferson errors and a fielder’s choice to take a 9-8 lead halfway through the sixth inning.
Jefferson’s sixth-inning rally started with one out. But 11 of the next 12 Wildcats who stepped into the batter’s box got on base and 10 of them scored.
Three players had three hits for Jefferson – Carolyn Mueller was 3 for 5 and scored three runs, Ky Eberle was 3 for 5, drove in three runs and scored three times, and Emma Kunz went 3 for 5, scored twice and drove in a run. Avery Rahrig was 2 for 4 and drove in three runs.
Columbus Grove’s Lauren Fuerst was 4 for 5, scored a run and drove in a run.
“We got off to a great start in the first inning and kind of hit a lull and Grove worked its way back into the game,” Geary said.
“It’s nice to get that first conference win. You want to put some pressure on some teams. There are some really good teams in the conference. We’d like to throw our name in that hat and go game by game,” he said.
Winning pitcher Kyrstin Moore allowed 11 runs and seven hits. She struck out seven and walked seven. Only three of the runs she gave up were earned.
Columbus Grove’s Abby Stechschulte allowed 18 runs and 15 hits. She struck out five and walked five. Eight of the runs she gave up were earned. Both teams committed five errors in the game.
Geary said, “It starts with our pitchers. Kyrstin does a great job of giving us an opportunity. She’s our No. 1, she’s our go-to girl. We were 10-15 last year and we were 10-10 when she was pitching and didn’t win when she wasn’t pitching. We don’t have a second (pitcher) yet. We’ll find out tomorrow (at Paulding) who our No. 2 is.”
Delphos Jefferson 18, Columbus Grove 11
Score by innings:
Columbus Grove 011 204 3 — 11 7 5
Delphos Jefferson 400 13(10) 18 15 5
WP — Kyrstin Moore; LP — Abby Stechschulte
2B —Lauren Fuerst (CG), Carolyn Mueller (DJ) 2, Avery Rahrig (DJ), Emma Kunz (DJ), Ky Eberle (DJ)
Records: Delphos Jefferson 4-0, 1-0 NWC; Columbus Grove 3-1, 0-1 NWC.
