Lady Giants take on tough tune-up game against Oak Harbor on eve of sectional game at Whitmer

OAK HARBOR – The day before his team faces TRAC co-champion Whitmer in the sectional tournament, Fremont Ross softball coach Tony Hill wanted his Lady Giants to face a challenge in order to prepare for the Panthers.

So, the Lady Giants traveled to Oak Harbor, where the Rockets are ranked third in the state in Division II and faced pitcher Ashley Riley, a talent comparable to Whitmer’s Amanda Combs. Riley gave Ross the test it was looking for as the Lady Giants lost 10-2, but Hill said his team got what he wanted it to from the day.

“We scheduled this game late and the reason we did was Ashley Riley was first-team all-Ohio last year,” Hill said. “I talked to Oak Harbor’s coach, he wanted to get a game and I said ‘The only we’ll give you a game is if you give us the day before Whitmer and you throw Riley.’ My kids need to see something comparable to Combs, as opposed to hitting off the pitching machine.”

And the Lady Giants started out the day well. Ross opened the game with two runs in the first inning. Kayla Rich led off the game with a triple, followed by an RBI double by Morgan Englund. Two batters later Paige Risch followed with her own RBI double, scoring Englund.

Oak Harbor answered with two runs in the bottom of the first, but Ross had a golden chance to re-take the lead. Addison Burmeister, Rich and Englund hit consecutive singles to begin the third inning, loading the bases with no outs. But two Riley strikeouts and a fielder’s choice ended the threat with no runs scoring.

Oak Harbor then scored five runs over the next two innings and pulled away. The Lady Giants didn’t help themselves by making seven errors in the field.

“We played with them, I want to say, for four or five innings,” Hill said. “…But we had some girls not make plays like we expect to and like we need to.

“We did some positive things but we realize we can get better and we will,” he added. “We’ll go into tomorrow having faced a live pitcher as opposed to having a day of practice.”

The Lady Giants (7-15 overall) travel to Whitmer for its sectional tournament Wednesday with first pitch scheduled for 5 p.m.

2024-25 Swimming & Diving: Girls Team