Hilliard Davidson High School, March 22nd: Game Two of the Triad — In a game packed with fireworks, momentum swings, and drama to the final pitch, the Irish came up just short in a heartbreaker, falling 10–9 to the Hilliard Davidson Wildcats on a cold Saturday afternoon at Hilliard.
The walk-off came in the bottom of the seventh when an error by the Irish allowed the winning run to cross the plate, sealing a dramatic win for the Wildcats.
The Irish jumped on the board early thanks to Gina Wasko, who wasted no time making her presence felt. In the top of the first, Wasko crushed a solo home run over the fence to give Dublin the early 1–0 edge.
But the Wildcats clawed back with fury in the second. Davidson batted around, plating five runs on five hits to take a commanding 5–1 lead. The big swing came from Molly Dennis, who lined a two-run single after a gritty six-pitch at-bat that fired up the home crowd.
Hilliard added another tally in the third when Caitlin Aleshire laced a triple down the right field line, stretching the lead to 6–4. But the Irish weren’t going quietly.
In the top of the fifth, Scioto battled back in a big way. Alexis Richie launched a towering two-run homer to left, and Sophia Jackson followed with a fielder’s choice that brought in two more. Just like that, Dublin surged ahead, 8–7, and looked to be in control.
The two teams traded jabs down the stretch, with Davidson tying it up late and then turning up the pressure in the bottom of the seventh. Mackenzie Buzzard stole home to tie it, and on the very next play, an error by the Irish defense allowed the winning run to scamper home—ending the game in dramatic, if painful, fashion for Scioto.
Dennis earned the win for the Wildcats, tossing three hitless innings without allowing an earned run. Richie was tagged with the loss for Dublin, pitching two-thirds of an inning and surrendering one unearned run on one hit. Starter Avery Reynolds carried much of the load for the Irish, striking out 13 over six innings while giving up nine runs (six earned) on 11 hits.
Both squads lit up the stat sheet, with Davidson racking up 12 hits to Scioto’s 11. Richie, Reynolds, and both Wasko sisters—Gina and Maria—each collected two hits for the Irish, with Richie and Reynolds each driving in a pair of runs. The middle of the Irish lineup proved dangerous all afternoon.
For the Wildcats, Dennis powered the offense with three RBIs, going 2-for-4 at the plate. Ellen Adams was a spark at the bottom of the lineup, leading Davidson with three hits in four trips. Aleshire and Erin O’Grady also turned in multi-hit performances. The Wildcats kept the Irish defense on its heels with aggressive baserunning, tallying five stolen bases—two courtesy of Buzzard.
While the Irish come away from the triad splitting games with one win and one lass, they showed grit and pop at the plate, and they’ll look to bounce back in their next contest.
Whetstone is up next, with a game at home on Thursday at 5:15pm
And the Irish have a double header scheduled for next Saturday with Reynoldsburg at home! So, come out and root on these amazing young women!
Go Irish!
