Crestview falls in state semifinal to Danville

AKRON - The night before Danville stunned No. 1-ranked Crestview 3-2 in a semifinal of the Division IV state softball tournament on Thursday, the Blue Devils' coach Mike Beheler took them to Firestone Stadium, so it would look familiar when they played there.

Unfortunately for Crestview, the familiarity and similarity didn't stop there. The Knights lost in the semifinals of the state tournament for the third straight season when they fell to Danville.

Unranked Danville (21-6), playing in its first state softball tournament, never trailed in the game. The Blue Devils jumped ahead 2-0, saw Crestview tie it on a long home run by Melissa Eickholt, and then scored the winning run in the top of the seventh inning.

"We talked and talked about this game and talked about not being in awe of anything," Danville's Beheler said. "This was a first-time deal for all of us. We don't panic and it showed (Thursday)."

Danville went up 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning. With the lead, the Blue Devils tried to sneak an inside pitch past Eickholt in the bottom of the inning and she hit it about 50 feet beyond the left field fence, to score Megan Henry, who had singled just ahead of her in the lineup.

That was the last run Crestview (26-2) scored, even though it had runners on base three more times in the game.

"We didn't capitalize and we didn't take care of the little things," Crestview coach Ali Sawmiller said.

The game ended with Crestview letting opportunities slip away in the top and bottom of the seventh inning.

In the top of the seventh, the Knights' pitcher Chelsea Lare retired the first two Danville batters. It appeared the Blue Devils were a long way from scoring. But then Hannah Matheney, Baihley Presley and Kayla Hughes went single, single, single for Danville. Hughes' hit, her third of the game, brought home the eventual winning run.

Crestview appeared ready to respond to Danville's rally when Jessica Burger led off the bottom of the seventh with a double over the right fielder's head and Kelsey Nedderman singled to put runners at first and third.

But Presley, the starting pitcher for the Blue Devils, got Kayla Richardson to ground out to the first baseman for the first out. Then the Knights' season ended on a wild double play.

When Whitney Myers grounded the ball to Danville shortstop Tracy Payne, she threw home to get Burger for the second out. Meanwhile, Nedderman, who had earlier stolen second base, was thrown out at third to end the game.

Sawmiller said she told Crestview's players they had done well this season, despite Thursday's disappointment. But that message will take some time to gain widespread acceptance from the team, she admitted.

"It's such a feat to get down here, whether you win or lose that first game," Sawmiller said. "It's disappointing, but the sun's going to come up tomorrow. The girls will realize what an awesome accomplishment this was."