TOLEDO – Earlier this year, the Fremont Ross softball team battled traditional TRAC power Notre Dame Academy tooth and nail in a two-run loss. The Lady Giants played tremendous defense but the offense managed just a single hit while striking out 18 times.
Kaylee Dodson
Wednesday afternoon Ross got its second shot at the Eagles and once again the Lady Giants played strong defense, committing just one error. But this time Ross found offense too. Unfortunately it still wasn’t quite enough as Notre Dame scored in the bottom of the seventh to snatch a 6-5 victory from the Lady Giants.
“The girls played really well last night, battling up until the last play of the game,” Ross coach Megan Turner said. “We are very proud of the girls and how well they played.”
Notre Dame scored two runs in the bottoms of the third and fourth innings to take a 4-1 lead. But Jakaia Harper Horn led off the top of the fifth with a base hit and scored two batters later on a two-run home run by Kaylee Dodson to trim the deficit to 4-3.
Trailing by two in the top of the seventh, Harper Horn and Malayah Horn reached base on back-to-back errors. Audrianna Melchor later singled to center field to score Horn to tie the game heading to the bottom of the seventh.
The Eagles however laced a game-winning walk-off base hit to score the game-winning run, sending the Lady Giants’ record to 3-10 overall, 1-7 in the TRAC.
Ross belted out nine hits, two each from Dodson and Melchor, with Dodson driving in three runs.
“Our defense did great as we only had one error on the evening,” Turner said. “The hard work is beginning to pay off.”