The wind whipped across the field Thursday afternoon at Dublin Scioto High School, turning an early-season scrimmage into something that felt far more like a mid-May thriller. Jackets tightened, fans leaned forward in their seats, and what started as a chilly exhibition quickly turned into a back-and-forth battle that neither team seemed willing to surrender.
Olentangy struck first, breaking through in the third inning when #17 lined a single that plated two runs and put the Orange ahead. For several innings, it looked like that early momentum might carry the visitors.
But Scioto had other ideas.
The Irish began clawing their way back in the fifth. Gigi Rodriguez electrified the home crowd with a solo inside-the-park home run, sprinting all the way around as the wind chased the ball into the outfield gap. Moments later, Avery Reynolds ripped a triple that drove in two more runs, and Maria Wasko added another with a productive groundout, suddenly swinging the game back in Scioto’s favor.
The sixth inning only raised the drama. Abbi Clark launched a solo home run to right field, and Reynolds came through again with another clutch triple, clearing the bases and pushing the Irish ahead.
Still, Olentangy refused to fade. In the top of the seventh, #21 delivered a single down the right field line that brought the Orange all the way back, knotting the game at eight and setting the stage for a tense final half-inning.
Reynolds, who battled through seven innings in the circle while striking out 15, kept Scioto within reach. Offensively, she also led the charge with five RBIs, finishing 2-for-4. Gina Wasko and Yonit Rodriguez each added two hits, while Lyla Magnussen showed patience at the plate with two walks as the Irish worked six free passes overall.
With the game hanging in the balance in the bottom of the seventh, Gigi Rodriguez stepped to the plate and delivered the moment everyone would remember — a ringing double that brought the winning run across and sent the Irish pouring out of the dugout.
After a back-and-forth battle that lasted until the final swing, Scioto walked it off with a 9–8 victory over the Orange.
Two scrimmages coming up next week! Both at home. Grove City and Fairbanks! We’ll see you out there!
And GO IRISH!!!
