Dublin Scioto High School, April 9, 2026: A warm, perfect evening finally arrived in Dublin on Thursday, and the Scioto field responded with its biggest crowd of the season. Fans packed in for a rivalry matchup with Delaware Hayes, the kind of night where every pitch feels heavier and every moment matters just a little more. We also had visitors from the Dublin DYA league visit to meet the players and show their support for the Irish!
And for six innings, it was everything you’d expect from a true pitchers’ duel.
Avery Reynolds was electric in the circle. From the very first batter, she set the tone—attacking early, getting ahead, and forcing Hayes hitters to play on her terms. She opened 18 of 30 at-bats with a first-pitch strike, generated 16 swinging strikes, and struck out 10, all while keeping her pitch count efficient at 110. Only two Hayes runners reached base after seeing a first-pitch strike, a testament to just how dominant she was.
But, sadly for them, the Pacers made one thing clear all night—they weren’t going to let Reynolds beat them at the plate.
Each time she stepped in, the Pacers chose to put her on base rather than challenge her, issuing intentional walks and refusing to give her a chance to swing. It was a strategy that spoke volumes—a quiet admission of just how much they feared her with a bat in her hands.
Still, despite Scioto putting balls in play and competing throughout, runs were hard to come by. Hayes pitcher Hannah McAllister matched Reynolds pitch for pitch, keeping the Irish off the scoreboard and preserving the tense deadlock.
Then came the seventh.
With the game still scoreless, a series of defensive miscues opened the door. Hayes capitalized, pushing across four runs—all unearned—on a mix of situational hitting and well-timed contact that finally broke the stalemate.
Gigi Rodriguez led Scioto with two hits, Gina Wasko added one and Abbi Clark had another hit (that struck one of our runners in the back, for the second game in a row) and the Irish continued to battle until the final out, but the breakthrough never came.
In a game defined by dominance in the circle and razor-thin margins, Hayes pulled away late to hand Scioto a 4–0 loss.
Next up: Scioto hits the road Monday to face Big Walnut and if this one proved anything, it’s that this team is right on the edge. Come out and support the Irish as they look to bounce back!
Go Irish!!!
