Covington made its first trip to state since 2013. “It just makes me have hope that we’ll be this good next year.” – Sophomore Cassidy Iddings. (Press Pros File Photos)
Despite having just one senior, the Buccaneers reached the state tournament for the first time since 2013.
Akron, OH – For the members of the Covington softball team, age was simply a number — not an identity — throughout its leap forward this spring.
The Buccaneers had just one senior, was led by a first-year head coach, and hadn’t qualified for state competition in over a decade, but that’s exactly where they found themselves Wednesday at Akron Firestone Stadium.
It felt like a realistic goal all along for Covington, despite the odds that might have been against it over the past two-plus months.
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“We come to play one through 14 — that’s our entire roster — and we deal with the pressure,” said Brooke Gostomsky-Menker, who had been an assistant the past two seasons before taking over this spring as Buccaneers’ head coach. “Throughout this season, we dealt with the pressure. We are aggressive base runners, and that’s how we win games. We absolutely execute, and it’s fun to watch.”
In a Division VII state semifinal matchup against Portsmouth West, Covington trailed by one run after three innings but couldn’t contain a Titans’ team that wound up with 13 hits on its way to a 9-2 victory.
Portsmouth West (27-3) is headed to its first state final, where it will play Monroeville (25-3) at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Firestone Stadium.
“Over the years we’ve played in big games, and that helped us tonight,” Notre Dame coach Shad Ford said.
Covington (22-10) was making its fifth state appearance, with the most recent coming in 2013, but it heads into the offseason still looking for its first berth in a state final.
“It just makes me have hope that we’ll be this good next year,” said sophomore Cassidy Iddings, who started in right field and also pitched 1 2/3 innings of relief. “We’re all so close, and we all stay in contact throughout the offseason. I think we’ll come back even stronger.”
Portsmouth West took a 1-0 lead in the second when left fielder Audrey Bach reached on an error, second baseman Bella Rush doubled to left, and third baseman Kennedy Lyon hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Bach.
Then in the third, catcher Kate Entler singled, center fielder Maycee Ford reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second, and first baseman Lyndsey Schaefer reached on an error and stole second. Pitcher Ava Rush then singled to left center to drive in Ford and Schaefer for a 3-0 lead.
In the Covington third, junior first baseman Taylor Foutz led off with a walk. Sophomore shortstop Ava Hartwig then tripled to the wall in left field to drive in Foutz.
Catcher Elizabeth Coblentz — Covington’s only senior — then hit a soft bouncer that went just barely fair between the catcher and pitcher, and Hartwig raced in to score as the Buccaneers cut it to 3-2.
“It felt good,” Hartwig said. “We did a good job, even when we were down in the game to show we could still have our energy up. Just that moment felt really good because we knew we could work hard and push through any downfall.”
Notre Dame broke it open in the fourth, however, when Lyon singled up the middle, right fielder Maddie Entler walked, and shortstop Alayla Soard belted a three-run homer to deep center to make it 6-2.
“We knew coming in that they were going to hit the ball,” Gostomsky-Menker said. “They’re a good hitting team, but our defense stopped a lot of it though. We played very well. A couple miscues hurt early on, but they left runners on base a lot. In some bases-loaded situations, we got out of those (by allowing only) one run. Our defense came to play, and we did well. That pitcher had our number tonight, but we still put balls in places that didn’t go our way.”
Notre Dame made it 7-2 in the fifth on an RBI-walk by Maddie Entler off junior starting pitcher Whitney Burns, who stepped into the role of No. 1 starter this season after being one of three key pitchers a year ago.
“The girls played their hearts out and gave everything they had,” Gostomsky-Menker said. “They just had our number tonight. It wasn’t the best we could have played, but they gave their full effort. They all come in, work hard every single day, on and off the field. … I told them from day one that we’d be here.”
Coblentz, who led the Buccaneers with 12 home runs and hit nearly .500 this season, enjoyed filling the leadership role as the lone senior.
“It was pretty great,” Coblentz said. “We had a great group of girls coming in at the beginning. They continued to want to get better, grow closer together, grow closer to God, and that’s all you could ask for. We have a lot of great girls on this team, and they’ll be back next year.”
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