Wheelersburg softball climbs to second in the state
By Alexander Hider
3 days 16 hours ago
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ahider@civitasmedia.com
With the regular season winding down, the Wheelersburg softball team is just getting started.
Earlier this week, the Ohio High School Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association ranked the Pirates second in the state in Division III. The Pirates hold a 17-1 record and have yet to drop a game to an in-state opponent.
“I think it’s great for the kids. It’s a reward for all of their hard work,” said Teresa Ruby, head coach of Wheelersburg.
Perhaps no one is working harder for the Pirates than sophomore shortstop Michal Cunningham. She’s batting a cool .615 in the three-hole, and is already committed to play at LSU when her high school career is over.
For opposing pitchers, the lineup doesn’t get much easier following Cunningham. The next four batters following Cunningham are all batting above .350. They are junior catcher Taylor Dempsey, senior right fielder and Wingate commit Hailee Barbarits, senior third baseman Rachel Blair and sophomore first baseman Laiken Salvers.
“One of our strengths that we have is that we are a well-balanced team,” Ruby said. “Our batting lineup, one through nine doesn’t really have a weakness as far as I’m concerned.”
On the mound, the Pirates are led by senior Abbi Sparks. In her eight games, she’s picked up 7 wins and has an earned run average of just 0.91.
Wheelersburg may be excited to be ranked second in the state, but they know their work is far from over.
“I always try and impress upon my kids that it’s a ranking,” Ruby said. “What we’re focused on is doing well in the tournament and getting as far along that path as we can.”
With district tournaments getting underway next week, the Pirates will face a new set of challenges as they battle for a state championship. Often times, teams will go an entire week between rounds of the tournament.
“Our challenge is going to be to stay focused and stay sharp without playing regularly,” Ruby said. “Certainly, during tournament time, you’re going to be playing a lot of quality teams, and our hope is that we’ll be able to be up to the challenge.”
Earlier this week, Wheelersburg was awarded the top seed in the Southeast district. Their journey for a state championship begins May 16, when they take on the winner of Ironton and Dawson-Bryant.
Alex Hider can be reached at 353-3101, ext 294, or on Twitter @PDTSportsWriter
